A Story About Love
by She's a Star
Summary: A different time, a timeless story....When Christian Matthews is forced into going to a nightclub by his friends, he never dreams one of the prostitutes there will change his life. Now finished.
1. Angel of the Underworld

~ * ~ A * S T O R Y * A B O U T * L O V E ~ * ~  
  


by She's a Star  
  


Disclaimer: Moulin Rouge belongs to the absolutely amazing Baz Luhrmann.  
  


A/N: Thanks a zillion and one to my buddy Kara, whose totally SPECTACULAR fic Crazy Love (if you haven't read it, you're missing out big time!) inspired this :) You rock, girlie!!!  
  
  
  
  
  


Chapter One: Angel of the Underworld  
  
  
  


When he stepped through the graffitied door and wisps of smoke that led to L'amour Fou, a popular L.A. nightclub, on that fateful night, he would have never expected that he'd meet Her there.

That was how he thought of his soulmate, whoever she was...capitalized. 

Twenty two year old Christian Matthews couldn't help but feel a bit uncomfortable as his friends shoved him into the crowded nightclub. He'd attended church every Sunday of his life, and was pretty sure that going to strip clubs wasn't a-okay in God's book. But his best friend, Travis Luhrmann had insisted. 

Christian doubted Travis had ever been to church in his life.

"Isn't this awesome?" Travis asked with a grin revealing crooked teeth as he stared up at Christian-he barely came to his best friend's shoulder, thanks to his scrawny 5'5" form.

"It's...different," Christian replied stupidly, then backed up many steps as one of the strippers danced her way over to them, wearing only a barely-there red string bikini. 

Travis laughed, "Dude, you have to learn to live a little. Your birthday's in three weeks, and there's no way in hell I'm letting you continue being a virgin at twenty-three."

Christian felt his cheeks redden, and, as a group of obviously drunk hookers burst out laughing, wished that Travis's voice wasn't so loud.

"Would you shut up?" Christian hissed. Travis, however, didn't reply as he seemed to be enthralled with the group of skimpily-clad women singing seductively to Lady Marmalade on the bar. 

"You've got to lighten up, Christian," exclaimed N.A., a friend from Argentina who Christian had known since seventh grade but still hadn't discovered what his full name was.

"I'm just not the type of guy who does stuff like this, all right?" Christian snapped.

"There's a first time for everything, sweet'eart."

Christian turned around to see a brunette with a heavy New York accent grinning slyly up at him.

"Erm..."

"Twenty bucks and I'll give you an experience you'll never forget," she promised teasingly.

"No, no, thanks," Christian stuttered as she wrapped her arms around his waist. N.A. and Travis were both laughing as the hooker gave him a wink.

"Fine, then,"she purred, "But don't think you can get away from me that easily. The seemingly innocent ones are always the tigers."

And with that, she sauntered away and began to dance in a manner that would have given both of Christian's parents heart attacks in seconds.

"Aw, Christie, if you go on like this, how do you expect to get laid?" Travis asked, his ever-present grin suddenly very infuriating to Christian.

"Shut UP," Christian exclaimed. "This was your idea, not mine, and I'm not playing along with it."

"Fine," Travis pouted. "Well, then you can at least come with me to get a beer."

"Okay," Christian nodded in agreement. 

The two of them made their way over to the bar, which, to Christian's relief, was now rid of dancing prostitutes.

"Two beers," Travis announced to the woman behind the bar.

She nodded. "That it?"

"And one water," Travis added in disgust, glaring over at Christian. For the second time that evening, Christian felt his cheeks heat up. Really, was it a CRIME not to drink?

The bartender raised an amused eyebrow at him. "Coming right up."

"You disgust me sometimes, buddy," Travis proclaimed as he sank down one of the stools. Christian took the seat next to him. 

"Ditto," he replied. 

"But seriously, man," Travis said as he accepted their drinks from the bartender and rewarded her with a wink, "You really have to live a little. I mean, be glad I dragged you out here...I can't believe you were going to sit at home and WRITE, for crying out loud."

"I like writing," Christian replied stubbornly.

"Yeah, well, that's okay," Travis said, "But you've gotta get a little experience first, or else you won't have anything to write about!"

"Travis, there's this thing called imagination," Christian replied dryly. "Look it up in the dictionary sometime."

"The what?" Travis asked in mock (or at least Christian hoped it was mock) stupidity.

Christian laughed. "You make me sick."

"Ditto."

"Oh, clever," Christian complimented him. "Hey...where'd N.A. go?"

Smirking, Travis tilted his head slightly to the left, where N.A. was leaning against the bar sweet-talking one of the hookers. He'd always been a lady's man. "What's the point in trying to impress them with his 'charm', anyway?" Christian asked as he took a sip of water. "I mean, as long as he has twenty bucks in his pocket, he's gonna score anyway."

Travis shrugged. "He's a weird one."

"I won't argue with that," Christian replied with a grin.

Suddenly, the increasingly annoying hip-hop song that was blasting throughout the small club ceased, and the grand piano that looked incredibly out of place in the neon-light filled, somewhat tacky room began to play. Christian leaned over past the middle aged man that sat to his left to find that a chubby, red haired and faced man was playing. The flashing lights dimmed so that Christian could barely see his own hand.

Then suddenly, a soft, almost haunting voice began to sing, echoing throughout the small club. 

"The French are glad to die for love."

Everyone immediately began to lean back and forth in their seats, trying to catch a glimpse of the voice's owner, but they seemed to be hidden somehow.

"They delight in fighting duels."

"What's this?" Christian whispered to Travis.

"Little show they do with one of the girls," Travis whispered back. "They call her the Sparkling Diamond..."

Christian closed his eyes as the next line was sung out, and her voice seemed to radiate throughout his body...almost become part of him. It was strange, and definitely unlike any sensation he'd ever felt before. 

Almost like he'd imagined love would feel... 

"But I prefer a man who lives..."

"What are you doing, idiot?" Travis whispered. Christian snapped out of his fantasy world thanks to a sharp jab in the ribs from his best friend. 

"Nothing," Christian mumbled back.

"And gives..."

She paused for a tantalizingly long moment, and Christian found himself craving that sweet, sultry voice. 

"Expensive...jewels."

The room suddenly exploded in blinding light, and from behind the piano a woman appeared. Christian immediately inhaled deeply, not wanting to blink. He'd never seen such a ravishing beauty...never dreamed something so stunning could possibly exist.

This woman, this Sparkling Diamond, was dressed not in skimpy, trashy garments like the others, but a corset covered in rhinestones which shimmered as she danced throughout the club. A black top hat sat upon long, fiery curls that tumbled down her back. If she hadn't had a seductive smile on her face, Christian could have easily mistaken it for that of an angel: she had flawless ivory skin, blue eyes the color of sun-kissed sky, and glossy red lips. 

The club had erupted into applause and cheers as she danced throughout it, winking at men and blowing over exaggerated kisses into the air.

"A kiss on the hand may be quite continental, but diamonds are a girl's best friend!" she sang, her voice now confident and strong. "A kiss may be grand but it won't pay the rental on your humble flat, or help you feed your pussycat."

Christian grinned as she belted out the old Marilyn Monroe song-his mother was a huge fan of the actress, and wondered what she'd think if she saw the number being performed now.

"Men grow cold as girls grow old, and we all lose our charms in the end," she sang in a tone that suggested she would never lose her own charms.

Christian didn't doubt it.

"But square-cut or pear-shaped these rocks don't lose their shape! Diamonds are a girl's best friend!" 

Dumbfounded, Christian mumbled, "She's amazing."

"So you're not gay!" Travis exclaimed. Normally, Christian would have bothered to reply, but he couldn't bring himself to look away from her.

"Tiffany!" she exclaimed, throwing her hands into the air and catching a diamond necklace that one of the men had just thrown at her. "Cartier!"

"You really like her?" Travis asked teasingly.

"Who wouldn't?" Christian responded as she pushed one of the men down onto the floor and danced suggestively over him.

"Well, then, bud, you're in luck!" Travis exclaimed. 

"What'd you do?" Christian asked immediately.

"Well, since it's your birthday and all..." Travis started, eyes shining wickedly. Christian immediately felt his stomach begin to do cartwheels. When Travis's eyes got like that, it was best to head for the hills as quickly as possible.

Women and children first, of course.

"What did you DO?!" Christian repeated, louder this time.

"Well," Travis said with a suave grin. "I've got connections around here, and I pulled a few strings to get you a night with the Sparkling Diamond."

"Huh?" Christian asked stupidly, his brain suddenly feeling too frazzled to put two and two together.

"Totally alone," Travis continued, his smile turning mischievous.

Christian felt his pulse immediately begin to race, and his face was the color of the Diamond's hair as he studied her. 

"There may come a time when a lass needs a lawyer," she sang, doing a few high kicks. 

"But diamonds are a girl's best friend!" the group of hookers who had been dancing on the bar finished.

"There may come a time when a hard-boiled employer thinks you're awful nice," she continued. "But get that ice or else no dice!"

"He's your guy when stocks are high, but beware when they start to descend!" the girls all sang. Their voices were horribly off-key and words slurred, and Christian found himself almost aching to hear the Diamond's voice again. He couldn't help but feel enchanted as he watched her...she had the effect of a siren: every man in the room was spellbound.

"Diamonds are a girl's best, diamonds are a girl's best, diamonds are a girl's best friend!"

The Diamond took a seat at the piano next to the man who was playing it, and they exchanged a few words Christian couldn't make out while she tossed her hair and admired the way the strand of diamond she held sparkled in the dim light...he could have sworn she'd taken a quick glimpse at him.

After a few moments of the other girls's horrible warbling, the Diamond jumped up from the bench again and, to Christian's relief, her voice filled the room and overpowered every other sound within it.

"'Cause that's when those louses go back to their spouses!" she began to make her way over to the stool where Christian sat.

"Here she comes, buddy," Travis muttered, his tone full of mischief.

"Diamonds," she dragged out the word as she continued to cross the club, "Are a...girl's..."

She was getting closer...five feet away...four feet...

"Best...."

To Christian's utter surprise, she stopped directly in front of him, shimmeying up and down and causing the rhinestones on her corset to dance in the light.

"Friend," she breathed, then purred seductively, "I believe you were expecting me."

"Y...yes," Christian managed to get out, feeling as though his heart would stop beating at any moment. 

"Satine," Travis said with a winning smile as an old Olivia Newton John song began blasting out of the speakers. 

Satine...

The name fit her perfectly. It was so sultry and elegant...

He'd been a writer since he could hold a pen, and yet never in his life had one word had such an effect on him.

Satine gave his best friend a confused look, as though she'd seen him before but couldn't put name to face. Finally she nodded and gave him a breezy, confident "Hello."

"I believe you've heard about my friend here," Travis continued.

Christian felt his cheeks flush bright red as Satine's intense gaze fell upon him. 

"Oh yes," she purred, tracing his jawbone lightly with one soft finger. "I've heard about you."

Christian's whole body seemed to explode at the soft touch, and he felt as though his heart would stop at any moment. Touches weren't supposed to effect people this way...

"Let's dance," Satine breathed, her voice barely over a whisper. Christian tried to get up, but he couldn't move...couldn't even give her a reply. 

Satine pouted like a child who wasn't allowed to have dessert until after dinner, and every man in the club groaned sympathetically.

Christian realized that every pair of eyes was on them.

Satine kept her shockingly blue eyes fixed only on him, crimson lips pouting. Then one corner of her mouth raised slightly in a smirk, and she winked at him before turning around.

"Sa-tine, Sa-tine, Sa-tine!" the drunken men all chanted in unison.

She shook her hips in time to their chant, letting out little yips each time her hip jutted to one side. 

"You're crazy, man," Travis whispered. "Get up there and dance with her or I'm never speaking to you again! I had to pull a lotta strings to get you a night with her!"

"Do you have any idea what my mother would be thinking right now?" Christian retorted. "She'd have a heart attack knowing I was in this place at all...I don't even want to THINK about what she'd do if she knew my best friend had hired me a prostitute!"

"Dude, you're an adult now," Travis exclaimed. "You can stop wondering what mommy would think!"

"But sex is for when you're in love with someone, and when you're MARRIED-" 

"Listen, Christie, it was cute when you were ten," Travis hissed. "But if you don't get out there and dance with her right now, I swear I'm gonna-"

Travis, however, didn't get to finish his sentence, seeing as Satine had just danced backwards and settled herself into Christian's lap. She wrapped her black satin evening glove-covered arms around his shoulders and purred, "I've been a good girl, Santa, I swear."

As Satine kissed her way up his neck, Christian was sure that his brain was going to explode...every nerve in his body seemed to be on overdrive.

"Are you gonna be a good little boy and dance with me now?" Satine asked when they parted, running her finger over his lips.

Christian did the only thing he could do: nodded and followed her out into the middle of the club.

She immediately began a series of MTV-worthy dance moves that made Britney Spears look like some sort of angel. Christian, who had never been able to dance (with the exception of ballroom dances: his mother had forced him to take lessons when he was twelve), stood awkwardly and tried not to gawk at her.

"Loosen up," Satine purred, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and spinning him around. Christian tried to lead her around without beginning to waltz without noticing, and he had to fight not to look down at his feet and make sure they were behaving.

"Let's get physical," Satine began to sing as she pressed against him, her breath tickling his ear. Christian felt his heart speed up and was about to spontaneously combust when he realized she was singing along to the song that pulsated throughout the club. 

"Physical," she continued, pulling away and giving him a teasing smile, "I wanna get physical...let's get physical...lemme hear your body talk, your body talk, lemme hear your body talk."

Travis suddenly appeared next to him, dancing with the brunette that had set her sights on Christian earlier. He was eyeing Christian with envy, and the brunette seemed to be doing the same to Satine.

About halfway through the song, Christian finally got back his ability to speak coherently.

"I...er...this wasn't my idea," he said meekly.

"Oh?" Satine asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Er...yes," he said. "I...um...this is my first time here."

"Obviously," Satine said, her voice sounding different...it didn't seem to be coming from the same woman he'd been dancing with.

"W...what?" Christian stuttered.

"Oh..." she let out a sultry, musical laugh...she'd returned. Perhaps he'd been imagining her voice sounding different at all. "Well, it's just that if you'd been here before, I know I would have noticed you."

Her voice faded off as she spoke the sentence, ending in a seductive whisper that made Christian's pulse race.

"Oh," he said weakly. 

The song ended, and Satine whispered into his ear, "Talk to the bartender in half an hour. He'll know where to take you."

Christian was about to question her mysterious words further, but before he had the chance she danced away from him and into the night.


	2. Feel the Burn!

~ * ~ A * S T O R Y * A B O U T * L O V E ~ * ~

  
  


by She's a Star

  
  


A/N: Okey doke, here it is, the oh-so-snazzy second chapter :) I had a blast writing this one, so I hope you like it. Au revoir, my lovely reader/reviewers!

  
  
  
  


Chapter Two: Feel The Burn!

  
  


"Didn't think a director would be so young," Satine's mother, Marie, commented as she lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply. 

Satine nodded as she pulled on one of her favorite dresses, a red satin one that fell to her ankles and contrasted nicely with her ivory skin. She'd gotten it for only fifty dollars at a thrift store...it had been a pointless splurge, she knew, but the second she'd seen the dress she'd known she had to have it.

"You're wearing that?" Marie asked skeptically, her voice raspy thanks to her forty years of smoking.

"I like it," Satine replied as she struggled to zip up the back. "And Harry said smoldering temptress."

And yet the man she'd met in the club (Mark Murdock, apparently, though she'd never pictured the film director to be so youthful) didn't seem to like the smoldering temptress type. He was more wilting flower. 

But what Harry said was what Satine did.

It had always been that way.

"Need help with that?" Marie asked, placing her cigarette in the ash tray and coming over to zip up the back of Satine's dress.

"Thank you," Satine said. She ran a brush through her curls, then pulled her hair up in a twist with a few tendrils framing her face. 

"You know, hon, this one could really get you out of here," Marie said with a smile revealing coffee-stained teeth. "With a patron like him, you could be the next Audrey Hepburn."

"Oh, Mom, do you think I could be like the great Audrey?" Satine thought aloud, smiling at the prospect. It was hardly possible, she knew, but...if only...

"Why not?" Marie asked as she handed Satine her ruby lipstick, which Satine applied carefully to her lips. "You've got the looks...sure as hell got the talent."

"Oh, Marie," Satine said, hope filling her body. Hope was a dangerous feeling...she knew it. Believe in it too much and you'd almost certainly come crashing down. 

"Now, get out there," Marie ordered as her daughter spritzed on some vanilla perfume. "You're due to be in the Paris room in about ten seconds."

"Wait," Satine said, studying herself in the full-length mirror. "It's missing something..."

She eyed her reflection for a moment more before picking up the diamond choker she'd been given by one of the men during her dance number. Fastening it around her neck, she smiled. There. Outfit completed.

Diamonds were a girl's best friend, after all.

  
  


~*~

  
  


"Er...excuse me?" Christian asked weakly. The bartender, who looked like he could bench press about a thousand and had tattoos covering every inch of his bare arms, grunted in response.

"Um...Miss Satine told me to see you," he continued, feeling incredibly torn. Part of him was simply screaming to go home right now while Travis wasn't there watching him...he could relax in his newly purchased apartment and write and forget he'd ever come here.

But another part of him was craving, yearning, longing to see Satine again. He almost felt empty without being able to study her flawless skin and intricate features...it was like an addiction.

"Come on," the bartender muttered, leading Christian out of the club and through a small door. Christian followed him up a creaky flight of stairs, then paused while he knocked on the first door in the upstairs.

"Come in," a breezy voice called.

Satine.

"Go on," the bartender said, voice devoid of any emotion, before turning around and heading back downstairs. Christian took a deep breath, then swung open the door. 

The room was as unlike L'amour Fou as it was possible to be: rather than looking trashy and shabby, it was extravagantly decorated. The walls were black, flecked with tiny bits of white for stars and a smiling moon, and an outline of Paris was painted intricately. Christian's eyes fell upon a brightly painted windmill that read "Moulin Rouge" in lights. A strand of Christmas lights was hung around the ceiling, and candles were scattered around the room. In the center was a beautiful canopy bed, covered in tasseled red blankets and velvet pillows.

But where was...

"So nice to see you again."

Christian turned around to find Satine standing behind him, a seductive smile curving up the corners of her lips.

"Er...um...hello."

She looked amazingly stunning, and Christian allowed himself to stare openly at her for a moment...she wore a long crimson dress that flattered her thin figure, and her fiery hair framed her perfect face.

"I didn't get a chance to change before you got here," she said, her voice light. She walked slowly over to her dressing screen, then disappeared behind it. Christian forced himself to turn away and study the painted walls as he listened to her sing softly to herself.

"Oh, I can NEVER get this unzipped," Christian heard her say. "Would you...give me a hand?"

"Um...sure, of course," Christian said awkwardly, walking over and helped her unzip her dress with shaking hands. He stared for a moment at her smooth bare skin, and felt his cheeks heat up when Satine looked over her shoulder at him.

"Thanks," she said, her voice barely over a whisper. 

"Any time," Christian replied weakly before walking away again. Every inch of his body was shaking in nervousness, and he took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself down. He succeeded somewhat, but when Satine cleared her throat and he turned around, the butterflies in his stomach returned again.

She was dressed in lacy black lingerie, covered by a black gauze robe. With a sigh, she reached up and pulled the rubber band from her hair, then shook it so it hung around her shoulders. 

Smiling, she sauntered towards him, and Christian found himself longing to feel her arms around him again. However, she walked right past him and switched on the stereo that sat in the corner. An old Beatles song began to play softly, and Satine wrapped her arms around his shoulders, then began to sway slowly back and forth.

Christian closed his eyes for a moment, and all his nervousness seemed to drift away as they swayed in time to the music. It was a strange, wonderful, magical feeling...like being...complete, somehow. 

How love was supposed to feel.

Suddenly, his fantasy world dissolved in an instant as he felt himself being pushed. He opened his eyes, startled, to see Satine smiling at him seductively. With a strange sort of growl, she shoved him onto the bed with a strength he never would have dreamed she possessed.

"Let's make love!" she breathed, kissing his neck, his cheeks...everywhere, it seemed, but his lips.

Christian felt panic immediately overtake him, and, eyeing the champagne bottle that sat on a table in the corner next to two glasses, said nervously, "Perhaps we could have something to drink fir-"

"Oh, you DO want to make love, don't you?" she continued, unbuttoning his white shirt quickly.

"Well...actually...I, er-"

"Come on!" Satine yelled as she succeeded in pulling off his shirt and tossed it aside. Quoting the song they'd danced to earlier, she cried, "Let me hear your body talk..."

"Er...I..." Christian stuttered, wanting nothing more than to kill Travis at the moment.

"Oh yes," Satine continued, "YES! TIGER!"

"This...this isn't right. I-"

"Oh, come on!" Satine exclaimed as she struggled to unbutton his pants, "Don't you ever get tempted to walk on the wild side?"

"No..." Christian replied truthfully, feeling his cheeks light up as Satine raised an eyebrow at him, looking amused.

"Well, there's no time like the present," she said with a devious smile, then grinned as she succeeded in unzipping his pants. "Oooh, big boy-"

"NO!"

The word was out of Christian's mouth before he realized he was actually saying it, and he slid out from under Satine and off of the bed. She fell to the floor with a thud, and Christian winced as he zipped up his pants.

"Er...sorry," Christian said weakly as she straightened her hair.

"Why 'no'?" she asked teasingly, standing up and walking slowly towards him. Smiling, she placed her hands on his hips and whispered, "Good boys are bad boys that never get caught."

Almost tantalizingly slowly, she brushed her lips across his cheek. 

"Now," she said with a smile, "Why don't we try this again?"

"Er...actually...." Christian stuttered, "I...I..."

"Come on..." Satine said softly, leading him over to the bed. She pushed him down again, and Christian wished he could be anywhere but there as she began to alternate kissing him (though never on the lips), moaning, and yelling, "YES!"

As she began her second attempt to unzip his pants, Christian couldn't believe that this was HIM....the one who all his friends's parents had wanted to adopt, the one who'd never gotten anything less than an A on his report card.

He couldn't just go ruin years of being perfect like that. It was simply unheard of.

So he did the first thing that popped into his head.

"My gift is my song!" he sang softly to the old Elton John song on the radio. Satine seemed to freeze and eyed him with an expression Christian couldn't even begin to read.

"And this one's for you," he continued, gently moving Satine off of him and getting up from the bed. She was still watching him intently.

"And you can tell everybody that this is your song," he continued, his voice growing louder. "It may be quite simple but now that it's done...I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind that I put down in words how wonderful life is, now you're in the world!"

Smiling a warm, true, genuine smile that Christian hadn't known Satine was capable of making, she rose from the bed and walked slowly towards him, almost as if in a trance. 

"Sat on the roof," he smiled, "And I kicked off the moss...well some of these verses, well they, they got me quite cross...but the sun's been kind while I wrote this song! It's for people like you that keep it turned on."

Satine, who was now standing only a few feet away from him, looked almost timid as she took a small step forward. Grinning, Christian walked over to her and took her hand in his own, massaging it gently with his thumb.

"So excuse me, forgetting, but these things I do...you see I've forgotten if they're green or they're blue. Anyway, the thing is, what I really mean....yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen!"

Satine smiled even wider, and the expression made her look so pure and beautiful that it was hard to believe she wasn't some sort of angel. 

Grinning, Christian put his free hand on Satine's waist, and she put her hand on his shoulder. Exchanging smiles, Christian spun her around the room, causing her to giggle in delight. The sound was beautiful.

"And you can tell everybody this is your song!" Christian exclaimed as he spun her around. "It may be quite simple...but now that it's done..."

"I hope you don't mind," Satine's voice joined his own. "I hope you don't mind that I put down in words....how wonderful life is, now you're in the world."

The song ended, and Satine let out a sigh of happiness. "I can't believe it....I'm in love."

Christian felt as though his heart was suddenly flying...she was it, this was Her, the one he'd always been searching for. He'd known it since the moment he'd first seen her, just as he'd known there was more to her than just a pretty face and seductive purr.

Finally, after all his years of dreaming, he was in love.

And she loved him as well.

Christian kissed her forehead lightly, and she continued, "And with Mark Murdock, no less."

"Mark Murdock?" Christian questioned curiously. He'd heard of the man....a successful Hollywood director famous for his romantic comedies.

But what, exactly, did some director have to do with him?

"Oh, don't worry," Satine said with a smile, "I'm not one of those starstruck wannabe actresses or anything..."

And then it dawned on him. She thought HE was Mark Murdock.

"Er...Satine," he said softly, his lips only inches apart from her own.

"Yes?" Satine asked huskily.

Perhaps...perhaps he could just tell her after they kissed. 

But no, that would be low and conniving of him. Sure, most guys (cough Travis cough) would do that, but he couldn't. Especially not to Satine.

"I'm not Mark Murdock," he mumbled. 

"Not Mark Murdock?" Satine repeated weakly.

He shook his head. "I'm Christian Matthews."

She stared at him blankly for a moment, then exclaimed, "Wait....you're not birthday boy, are you?"

"Well...yes," Christian replied.

"Oh NO!" Satine cried, pulling away from him as though he was diseased. "This is NOT happening! This is NOT happening!"

"Er...yes it is," Christian said with an apologetic smile.

"Oh, shut UP, birthday boy," Satine snapped. "Mark freaking Murdock will be here any second and I'm stuck here with the birthday boy! GET OUT!"

"All right," Christian said, trying to ignore the miserable feeling that had taken over him. 

Of course she didn't love you! he thought in self-disgust. How could a woman that beautiful LOVE you? She thought you were someone else, idiot. Oh, I'm going to get Travis for this...

He swung open the door, only to slam it shut again.

"Mark Murdock's standing out there," he reported. 

"Oh, dammit!" Satine swore. "Hide!"

"Where?" Christian asked.

"Anywhere!" Satine exclaimed, panicked. "Just HIDE!"

Christian immediately dropped behind one of the tables that sat near the canopy bed as Satine nervously straightened her hair and lingerie.

A few seconds later, the door swung open, and the red-haired man that had been playing the piano stepped in, accompanied by a middle-aged man with straw colored hair and a face that bore a strong resemblance to a rabbit's.

"Chickpea!" the man boomed with a merry smile on his face. "Where were you? You were supposed to meet Mr. Murdock nearly a half hour ago."

"Oh, I'm ever so sorry, Mr. Murdock," Satine breathed, "I do hope that I'll be able to....make it up to you."

"I'm sure you will," Murdock replied, his voice high and nasal. Christian winced at the sound of it-when singing, he was sure that this guy could give Britney a run for her money.

"I'll leave you two alone," announced the red-haired man, closing the door as he chortled to himself.

Christian felt a twinge of jealousy as Satine sauntered over to the man and whispered something into his ear. He laughed in reply, and Christian had to work very hard to restrain himself from going over and punching the man right then and there. The only thing that held him back was the fact that he'd never been in a fight in his life, and there was a good chance he'd get the crap kicked out of him right in front of Satine.

"A kiss on the hand may be quite continental," Murdock recited, planting a kiss on Satine's hand. Christian felt anger seep through him.

"But diamonds are a girl's best friend!" Satine finished with an 'aren't-you-clever?' giggle. She sauntered slowly over to the champagne, and Christian saw red as he watched Murdock study her appreciatively.

"Champagne?" she offered.

"Sure," Murdock said, his eyes large as he studied Satine. Christian had half a mind to go over and poke them out.

Satine poured him a glass, then handed it to him.

"Aren't you going to have some, as well?" he asked.

"Oh...no, I'm not thirsty," Satine replied vaguely.

Murdock nodded, his eyes studying the room. Christian ducked back down under the table as his eyes neared him, but a milisecond too late.

"Is there someone back there?" he questioned.

"Back there?" Satine asked quickly, voice filled with nervousness. "Why, what do you mean?"

"I thought I saw someone moving," Murdock stood up and began to walk slowly over to the table.

"I'm sure it's no one," Satine said, panicked.

"No, I could have sworn..."

"Let's make love!" Satine shouted suddenly. Christian tilted his head slightly so he could see as she practically tackled Murdock onto the bed, her foot tipping over one of the candles as she did so. Immediately, the fringe that hung from the canopy burst into flames.

"Fire!" Murdock cried. "Fire!"

"Yes! Yes!" Satine exclaimed with a moan. "Feel the burn!"

"No, FIRE!" Murdock squawked, pushing Satine off of him. She fell, for the second time that night, to the floor with a thud, then stared up in horror at the flaming canopy.

"Do something!" Satine shrieked.

Murdock lifted his glass of champagne from the table and tossed it onto the fire, causing it to erupt even bigger.

"Jackass!" Christian heard Satine mutter under her breath. In a louder voice, she cried, "Go get help! Hurry!"

"Help?" Murdock asked stupidly. "Where?"

"There's a fire extinguisher further down the hall!" Satine exclaimed. "Quick, go!"

Murdock rushed out of the room, practically tripping over his own feet, and as soon as the door closed behind him, Satine let out a shriek of horror as she watched the canopy burn.

"This is AWFUL!" she cried. "This is totally and completely awful! Could things get any worse?"

"I'm not sure," Christian responded, standing up.

"My LIFE is going down the TOILET!" Satine continued miserably, eyes hopeless as she watched the fire.

"I'm sorry," Christian said weakly.

"It's not entirely your fault," she replied, her gaze moving from the fire to Christian. Their eyes locked, and Christian felt his heartbeat increase. It would be almost romantic if you ignored the fact that the bed was on fire, his object of affection was a hooker, and an almost rabbit-like director was due to arrive back any second.

That was, if he didn't get lost.

Which was entirely possible, considering how intelligent he seemed to be...Christian couldn't even begin to imagine how such an idiot could manage to direct a movie.

Just as he took a step closer to Satine, the door swung open again, and Murdock entered, clutching a fire extinguisher. He immediately began to spray it madly, covering Satine and Christian with white foam but missing the bed entirely. After realizing he was aiming at the wrong target, the director swore under his breath and quickly put out the fire that had destroyed Satine's canopy bed.

"There we go," Murdock said with a heroic grin exposing teeth badly in need of braces. It seemed to take him a while before he realized that Satine was no longer alone in the room.

"Who are you?" Murdock asked suspiciously, wrinkling his nose in disgust and causing himself to look even more rabbit-like.

"I...er...uh...um..." Christian responded intelligently.

"This is Christian Matthews," Satine cut him off. "He's one of the girls from downstairs' boyfriends."

"Ahh, I see," Murdock replied, sounding unconvinced.

"I..I heard screaming," Christian said. "Coming from up here, and I came to see what was going on."

"Well, I assure you, Christian," Murdock said coolly, "Everything was perfectly under control."

Christian raised an eyebrow at him skeptically after studying Satine, himself, and the bed, which were all covered in white foam.

"Yes, perfectly, I'm sure," Christian agreed earnestly. "I'm sorry."

"You're one of the whores's boyfriends?" Murdock asked.

Christian nodded vigorously, trying to play along. He hardly had the acting talent Satine possessed, and was sure he'd ruin everything any minute.

"And you...approve of your girlfriend's career choice?" Murdock continued.

"She...er...needs money?" Christian said weakly, raising his voice towards the end of his sentence and making it sound like a question rather than a statement.

"I see," Murdock sneered. "Well, much as I'd love to stick around, I have an important meeting with my writer later tonight." He raised an eyebrow at Satine and attempted what Christian decided was supposed to be a charming smile, but really looked more like he'd just sipped old milk. "Perhaps we can reschedule this for another time, my dear?"

"Oh, absolutely," Satine said with a nod. "I'll be looking forward to it."

"As will I," Murdock grinned. "Good evening."

"Good evening," Satine called after him as he turned and left. As soon as she shut the door behind him, she sighed and collapsed onto the foam-covered bed. 

"This night has been a royal mess," she announced.

It seemed as though she'd forgotten Christian was there.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I know I ruined everything-"

"It's okay, Birthday Boy," Satine interrupted. "But could you just leave? I know I'm being rude, but I have stuff to do."

"All right," Christian said softly, trying to ignore the hurt that filled him. She didn't like him, that much was obvious, and he couldn't help but hate himself for ever thinking she had in the first place. 

With a forlorn sigh, he turned and began to walk out of the room. 

"Christian?"

He spun around immediately at the sound of Satine's voice.

"I'm sorry," she apologized with a weak smile. "I know I shouldn't have taken this out on you...it's just that this was a big night, and then there was this huge misunderstanding, and...I'm sorry."

Christian smiled. "It's all right."

They stood in silence for a moment, grinning at one another as if sharing some sort of inside joke.

"Well," Satine finally said, "I should be going...good night, Christian."

"Good night Satine," Christian replied happily. As he walked out of the room, he had to use all his self control in order not to jump up and down and punch his fist into the air.

This hadn't been so entirely awful after all.


	3. Fly Away

A/N: Thanks a million for the reviews, you lovely lovely people :) Sorry this chapter's so short...the next one should make up for it. 

  
  
  
  


Chapter Three: Fly Away

  
  


Satine couldn't help smiling as she climbed out of the shower and wrapped herself in her favorite pink cotton bathrobe. She couldn't get Birthday Boy's face out of her head...he was cute, that was for sure. Sweet, too. And he could sing like nobody's business. 

Snap out of it, Satine! she screamed inwardly at herself. You can't go get a crush on some guy you've only known for about an hour! You are a PROSTITUTE, for crying out loud!

Still, she couldn't help but dream that a Richard-Gere-In-Pretty-Woman type would come along and save her from this wretched career...she hated it, more than anything. But L'amour Fou was where she'd grown up, so naturally she'd had to go into the family business as her mother had before her. 

Satine didn't even know who her father was...she'd just always considered Harry to be her dad, even though they weren't related by blood.

It was pathetic, really...her step-father owned a nightclub, and her mother was an ex-whore. And there Satine was, following in mummy's footsteps.

Their family was trash.

But Satine was going to rise above-she'd decided this back at thirteen, when she'd first taken a good look at her family and how she didn't want to be anything like them. She loved them both, more than anything, but. . .

"I follow the night....can't stand the light."

Ever since she'd first heard the Elton John song, she'd loved it...the words, so bittersweet and full of longing for a better life, explained her world perfectly.

"When will I begin to live again?" Satine continued with a sigh, studying her face in the small bathroom's steamy mirror. Without the make-up and exotic costumes, she wasn't as stunning as she was continuously made up to be. She was just plain...

Just Satine.

"One day I'll fly away," she sang, beginning to run a brush through her wet hair, "Leave all this to yesterday...what more could your love do for me?"

For it seemed she had his love...which was crazy, of course-he barely knew her! And yet when Christian looked at her, his eyes had sparkled with such warmth that it seemed like all it could be was love.

Satine laughed shortly. Who would have thought that love at first sight still existed in this cold, cruel world?

"When will love be through with me?" Satine asked her reflection. "Why live life from dream to dream and dread the day when dreaming ends?"

Satine didn't know what she would do if dreaming ended...all she had was her dreams. Without them, she couldn't even begin to describe how dark the world would be.

She put the brush back down onto the tiny bathroom counter, then stepped out into her family's shabby apartment. All the furniture was second hand, and their television was tiny and without cable. A small half smile stretched across Satine's face as she studied her beloved stack of Audrey Hepburn movies-Roman Holiday, Breakfast at Tiffany's, My Fair Lady, Sabrina...she had practically all of her films, and idolized the actress.

More than anything, she wanted to be like her.

A star.

No...a legend.

"One day I'll fly away!" she sang as loudly as she could, enjoying the exhilarating feeling that she always got when she really belted out lyrics. "Leave all this to yesterday! Why live life from dream to dream and dread the day when dreaming-"

"Satine?!"

Immediately, she fell silent as Harry stepped into the apartment. He'd been down at L'amour Fou, which was below their home.

"Hi, Harry," Satine greeted him, pecking his ruddy cheek. "You must be tired, you were up all night? D'you want some coffee or something?"

Please, please, PLEASE don't talk about me singing, Satine thought desperately. Just DON'T!

Ever since he'd first married Satine's mother when she was seven, he'd remarked on what a lovely voice she had and how cute it was that she thought she was a little singer.

Thought she was.

Her stepfather didn't have the slightest bit of faith in her, that much was obvious.

"Singing again?" Harry chortled, ruffling her dripping wet hair. "We've got a little Broadway actress here, don't we, Pigeon?"

You don't have to talk to me like that anymore! Satine screamed inwardly. I'm twenty-two years old, I'm not a child!  
However she just smiled, "Yup, that's me. So, Harry, would you like some coffee?"

"Of course, Chickpea!" Harry grinned. "If it's not too much trouble."

"Oh, it's not," Satine assured him, then made her way to the falling apart kitchen, feeling as though she was about to scream. She was sick of feeling so trapped...like she'd been shoved into a cage and someone threw away the key, and now she had no hope of ever being free.

But just maybe...maybe she could get away from here.

Start a new life.

"One day I'll fly away," Satine sang softly under her breath. "Fly...fly...away."

~*~

"Are you ever going to stop smiling?" Travis wanted to know the next morning. He was slumped lazily on Christian's old sofa, eyes glued to the TV screen which showcased Britney Spears's newest video.

"Nope," Christian replied happily as he set his glass of orange juice down onto the coffee table. 

"Dude, you didn't even kiss her!" Travis pointed out, attention still fixed on Britney. "You have no reason to be happy."

"No reason?" Christian asked incredulously. "I'm in love!"

"You can't be in love!" Travis exclaimed. "I know her better than you do, and she couldn't even remember my name!"

"You don't know her," Christian replied with a dreamy sigh. "No one knows her...but I'm starting to."

"What do you mean no one knows her?" Travis asked in a tone that implied he thought his best friend insane. "I know her just fine...she's Satine Zidler, 'The Sparkling Diamond', works at L'amour Fou, and half of the male population of L.A. wants to sleep with her."

Christian felt the tiniest bit of anger surge through him at Travis's statement.

"No, that's not her at all!" he exclaimed. "That's just what she wants people to think she is, but really she's the complete opposite."

"Huh?" Travis asked stupidly.

"Oh, never mind," Christian said impatiently. "The point is, there's more to her. And I'm going to find out what it is. And I'll take her away from that place."

Travis rolled his eyes. "Oh yes, and it's going to be JUST like that one movie-"

"Oh, that ONE movie," Christian interrupted sarcastically.

"You know, that one with the Roberts chick," Travis said. "And you'll come and save her 'cause you'll become some multimillion dollar businessman overnight. Which may be a bit difficult, seeing as you're UNEMPLOYED."

"I'm WORKING on my BOOK," Christian lied. He WOULD be, if it weren't for the horrible case of writer's block that he was currently suffering through.

"Sure, sure," Travis said dryly. "You've been 'working on your book' for the last three years."

"It's a LONG book," Christian invented. 

"Ohh, I'm sure it is," Travis dead panned. "Now, can we just get back to the subject of your darling hooker? Books intimidate me."

"She's NOT a hooker!" Christian said defensively.

"Oh, no, of course not," Travis said, voice filled with mock sincerity. "She just sleeps with men for money, but no sir-ee, no way is she a hooker!"

"Shut up," Christian ordered angrily, sinking down onto the sofa and crossing his arms in front of his chest. After a few moments of silence, minus Britney's warbling, he announced, "I have to see her again."

"Then go back to the club," Travis said. 

"I don't like to see her there," Christian sighed. "That's not really her, that's just her pretending-"

"Well, then, I can't help you!" Travis said, exasperated. "I don't know where else to find her! Put an ad in the newspaper or something!"

Christian tuned out his best friend and mentally crossed his fingers. If worse came to worse, he could just go back to L'amour Fou and find her there. But something was telling him that it wouldn't be necessary...

Fate had brought them together already once, and Christian didn't doubt that it could happen again.


	4. Shopping Carts and Silly Love Songs

~ * ~ A * S T O R Y * A B O U T * L O V E ~ * ~

  
  


by She's a Star

  
  


A/N: Ooooh, I had so much fun writing this. :) Christian, Satine, the Elephant Love Medley, and Wal*Mart...what more could you possibly need in life??

  
  
  
  
  
  


Chapter Four: Shopping Carts and Silly Love Songs

Three days passed, then slowly morphed into a week, which morphed into two. Slowly, Christian was beginning to doubt that fate would work its magic and bring them back together. It looked like he'd just have to return to L'amour Fou.

After all, a glimpse of 'Sparkling Diamond' Satine was better than no Satine at all.

These thoughts were running through his mind for the millionth time as he made his way down the snack foods aisle at Wal*Mart. He hated grocery shopping; every time he put something into the cart, he could practically hear a little cash register 'cha-ching!' go off inside his brain.

As if he needed to be reminded of his poverty.

Christian's father, who lived in a town called Paradise in Northern California, had strongly objected his coming to Los Angeles. After lots of fights that resulted in yelling and vases being broken, Mrs. Matthews had finally declared that Christian was going. His father had been furious, and swore that he'd never help his son out financially.

Which left him buying the Wal*Mart brand potato chips.

Idiotic as it was of him, he couldn't help but wonder what Satine would think about his financial state; true, she was a harlot at a sleazy nightclub, but she seemed the type who liked the finer things in life. Maybe, just maybe he could write that book...

STOP being an idiot! Christian silently commanded himself as he tossed a box of Wheat Thins into the shopping cart, only to put them back on the shelf after studying the price. Satine's barely even SPOKEN to you, and already you're planning for the future! In no time, you'll be naming the kids.

With a self-loathing groan that earned him a curious look from an elderly woman making her way down the aisle, Christian put a bag of generic chocolate chip cookies into his cart, then quickly began to make his way to the drinks section.

He just wanted to get out of here and go try to write something-ANYTHING that would save him from Wal*Mart brand cookies.

"Aaahhh!" a female voice shrieked a second before Christian felt his cart slam into another one. 

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" he apologized, feeling his cheeks redden as he picked up the package of bacon that had fallen from the woman's cart. He handed it to her, and, upon looking up, discovered it was Satine.

It took him a while to register it...she certainly looked nothing like she had at L'amour Fou when he'd first seen her. Her curls were pulled back in a messy ponytail, a few wisps of flaming red hair framing her face, and she was dressed simply in ratty jeans and an Adidas sweatshirt. Her face was devoid of the slightest trace of makeup, and a pair of wire-rimmed glasses covered her blue eyes.

"Satine!" he yelped, his face going even redder.

"Christian," she replied with a smile. "Hi."

She remembers me! he thought, giddy. She remembers me-she didn't remember Travis, but she remembers me!  
"So...er...how are you?" he asked awkwardly.

"Fine," Satine replied, looking a bit flustered herself. "Fine. Great. I'm great."

"Well...that's good," Christian said, grinning weakly. "Er...so, what are you doing?"

"Uh...grocery shopping," Satine said, raising an eyebrow at him questioningly.

Ugh! Christian thought angrily. You IDIOT. What ELSE do you do in a grocery store?

"Oh, yeah, well," Christian said, giving her another weak smile, "Sorry...should have known. I'm a little out of it today."

"I noticed," Satine said with an amused smile.

"So..." Christian said uncomfortably.

"So..." Satine repeated.

He studied her for a moment, causing her pale cheeks to flush and eyes to fly down to the shopping cart. It was hard to believe that THIS was the woman who'd belted out the most raunchy version of "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend" he'd ever heard and then tried to seduce him repeatedly. She seemed so...innocent now.

"Er...it was really nice seeing you again-"

Christian cut her off. "It was really nice seeing you, too," he said shyly.

Satine smiled, a beautiful smile that was a mixture of embarrassment and flattery. 

"But I really should be going," she continued reluctantly. "I have to pick up some rootbeer-"

"So was I," Christian said, working hard to keep the ecstacy out of his voice.

"Well, what a coincidence," Satine grinned.

"Shall I escort the fair lady to the beverages aisle?" Christian asked, pleased that he'd spoken a coherent sentence.

Satine looked incredibly torn for a moment, though Christian couldn't understand...it was just going to get soda! 

Well...for her, anyway.

Finally, she shrugged and smiled at him. "Sure."

~*~

  
  


"I didn't know that GROCERY SHOPPING was supposed to be this FUN!" Satine laughed as she sipped the strawberry smoothie Christian had just purchased for her from the food court. He beamed at her in response, and Satine didn't even bother to try to get rid of the light, blissful feeling that immediately filled her.

She liked this guy.

A lot.

"Oh yes," Christian grinned. "It's just a whirlwind of excitement."

"Completely," Satine agreed as she pushed the cart across the parking lot. Her car, an ancient bright yellow VW Bug, was parked right in front of the Wal*Mart, but she hadn't been able to bear saying goodbye to him so soon.

"So..." Christian said, looking a bit nervous as he stopped in front of a beat-up, old blue station wagon that Satine assumed was his own.

Oh no, Satine thought. She knew what was coming. The 'will you go out with me?'...it was written all over his hopeful face. Naturally, she had to turn him down...having a boyfriend in her line of work was a definite no. It would never work out.

But she couldn't even imagine saying no to him. It seemed impossible.

"Er...maybe do you want to come over?" Christian asked, looking absolutely terrified. "Watch a movie or something?"

Oh, God, don't do this to me! Satine begged silently. 

"Uh...I can't," she said apologetically.

"Oh."

Christian's face immediately fell, and he looked completely crestfallen, almost as if he was fighting back tears.

"I'm sorry," Satine apologized immediately, "I'm SO sorry...it's just that..."

"A guy like me isn't good enough for someone like you," Christian finished with a weak, lopsided smile. He didn't say it bitterly, or with the slightest trace of an angry emotion-just as though it was some sort of fact.

"No!" Satine exclaimed. "No, not at all...I'm trash."

"No you're not!" Christian cried, quick as lightning. "You're...amazing." 

Satine felt a lump beginning to form in the back of her throat...why was he making this so freaking difficult?

"You don't want to get involved with me," she said softly, studying her beat up Sketchers. 

"Yes I do," Christian replied earnestly.

"It'll end horribly," Satine said. "I mean, I'm a HOOKER, for Christ's sake!"

The words escaped her mouth louder than she'd wanted them to, and a middle-aged couple eyed her in disgust as they walked past.

"It just wouldn't work," Satine finished weakly, feeling her cheeks flush.

Great. More people to think she was some dirty slut. Sure, she'd never see them again, but...it hurt, to be thought of like that.

"We could make it work!" Christian exclaimed, determined. 

"I can't fall in love," said Satine truthfully.

"But...but..." Christian stuttered. Finally, he declared, "Love is like oxygen!"

"What?!" Satine asked laughingly. 

He didn't reply-just continued to spew out old song titles. "Love is a many splendored thing! Love lifts us up where we belong! All you need is love!"

"Don't," Satine begged. "Just don't!"

All he had to do was open his mouth, sing a note, and she'd be hooked. Gone. A lost cause.

"All you need is love!" Christian sang out. Practically everyone in the busy parking lot turned to look at them, and Satine felt her cheeks flush.

"A girl has got to eat!" she hissed.

"All you need is love!"

"She'll end up on the street!" protested Satine desperately.

"All you need is love!"

A few teenage girls that were passing them giggled and studied him for a moment, and Satine couldn't help but feel a twinge of 'back off, he's mine'-ness run through her.

"Love is just a game!" she sang back with a giggle.

"I was made for lovin' you baby, you were made for lovin' me!" Christian sang. 

"Stop it!" Satine pleaded, sure she was fire-engine red as she felt everyone's eyes on them. Christian, however shook his head teasingly and was quiet.

He wants me to sing something back, Satine realized, feeling her stomach sink. 

In front of all these people who are sure we're psycho escapees from a musical.

"The only way of lovin' me baby is to pay a lovely fee," Satine invented.

"Just one night, give me just one night!" Christian begged, his hair flopping in his face adorably.

"I'll give you one night," one of the girls watching them muttered to her friend.

Bitch, Satine thought angrily.

"There's no way, 'cause you can't pay!" she responded, giggling. Christian had made it pretty clear that the only way he'd stop this was if she played along for a while.

"In the name of love!" Christian proclaimed, "One night in the name of love!"

"You crazy fool!" Satine sang laughingly, "I won't give into you!"

Crossing her arms in front of her, she stomped a few feet away and stood, back towards him. She'd decided, seconds ago, that it would be the most fun if she dramatized it as much as possible...after all, she DID want to be an actress, and this WAS an audience. 

"Don't leave me this way," Christian sang softly. "I can't survive without your sweet love, oh baby...don't leave me this way."

The two teenage girls burst into a round of sympathetic coos, and Satine rolled her eyes before turning around and, after racking her brain for a song for a moment, retorting, "You'd think that people would have had enough of silly love songs!"

Christian stared around the parking lot, where customers and employees from Wal*Mart had begun to step out of the building to see what had gathered the large crowd around them. Even the couple who had been glaring at her in disgust moments before both watched interestedly, small, fond smiles on their faces.

"I look around me and I see it isn't so!" Christian declared after studying their audience.

"Some people wanna fill the world with silly love songs!" Satine sang. Christian took a few steps closer to her, then softly caressed her cheek with his hand. The touch filled her with a light, fuzzy happiness that diamonds, her red dress, and Breakfast at Tiffany's combined couldn't even begin to give her. 

"Well, what's wrong with that," Christian's voice was soft as he leaned in closer and closer to her. "I'd like to know...'cause here I go."

Satine pulled away at the last moment. She was pretty damn sure that if she let herself kiss him, she'd never want to move, which would destroy everything.

Especially since she was supposed to have dinner with Murdock the next evening.

And plus, Satine thought as an audible "aw" of disappointment from the crowd filled her ears, if I kiss him, there's a good chance I'll pass out if I practically had a heart attack when he just touched my cheek.

To Satine's surprise, and everyone else's, at that moment Christian climbed up on top of his station wagon, spread his arms out like wings, and belted out, "Love lifts us up where we belong!"

"Get DOWN, you idiot!" Satine exclaimed, reaching out to grab one of his arms. "Your car's going to get dented, and you might BREAK YOUR NECK!"

He ignored her. "Where eagles fly on a mountain high!"

Satine finally succeeded in getting hold of one of his arms, and she pulled him from the top of the car. 

"Love makes us act like we are fools!" she declared. "Throw our lives away for ONE happy day!"

Christian was silent for a moment, apparently trying to think of another song, then proclaimed, "We could be heroes just for one day!"

Satine retorted, "You...you will be mean. And I...I'll drink all the time!"

Well, that last part wasn't exactly true. Since one particularly bad run-in with too many beers in high school which resulted in puking her guts out the next day, Satine had sworn off alcohol.

"We should be lovers!" Christian announced. The crowd nodded and cheered in agreement.

"We can't do that," Satine protested, studying her Sketchers once more. She couldn't look at him any longer...she could feel herself giving up. Any second, any second now...

"We should be lovers," Christian continued, "And that's a fact!"

Oh, I GIVE up! Satine finally declared to herself. It wasn't as if she and Murdock had anything romantic going on between them, and she really, REALLY wanted to just give in to him. After all, what harm could come from watching one movie together?

"What a heartless bitch," she heard one of the teenagers mutter to the other.

That was it.

"Though nothing will keep us together," she sang, grinning as she stared up and took his hand in her own. 

His expression was one of surprise and sheer and utter joy, and he finished, "We could steal time just for one day."

"We could be heroes," they sang together, Satine stepping closer to Christian and allowing him to wrap his arms around her waist, "Forever and ever...we could be heroes forever and ever...we could be heroes..."

"Just because I will always love you!" Christian sang happily.

Satine grinned-she'd sung the Whitney Houston ballad for her parents countless times when she was younger...and now here she was, singing it again in a Wal*Mart parking lot.

"I can't help loving you!"

Everyone watching them let out "oohs" and "ahhs" of happiness as Satine, remembering the night they'd first met, sang out, "How wonderful life is..."

Together, they finished, "Now you're in the world."

After a tantalizingly long moment of studying one another, Satine decided Christian was too timid to kiss her, so she leaned forward and firmly pressed her lips to his own. Immediately, the world around them seemed to dissolve, leaving only herself and Christian...

The people watching them burst into applause as the kiss deepened, but the sound barely registered in Satine's mind.

There was only Christian.

Christian Christian Christian Christian Christian Christian...


	5. Singin' in the Rain

~ * ~ A * S T O R Y * A B O U T * L O V E ~ * ~

  
  


by She's a Star

  
  


A/N: A Midsummer Night's Dream isn't mine...obviously. *hehe* The day I can write that fancy is the day pigs fly. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Chapter Five: Singin' in the Rain

"Well, hello there," Satine greeted Christian as she climbed out of her car in front of Christian's duplex. She'd followed him the way there in her Bug, though she was pretty sure she could have run the whole way. 

Sheer, complete, giddy, blissful happiness sure gave you lots of energy.

"I missed you," Christian responded, coming over and slinging an arm around her waist. Satine pecked him on the cheek, still halfway sure that this was some sort of very vivid dream...

It seemed so surreal, to be in an actual, real relationship. She hadn't had a boyfriend since the eighth grade, and that had lasted about a week.

Oh, Satine, don't go calling this a relationship! she ordered herself. You've only been 'together' for the last twenty-five minutes!  
She suddenly let out a shriek as Christian scooped her up into his arms and carried her, Fairy-tale-prince-and-princess style, into his duplex.

"Where'd you learn to do that?" Satine asked, giggling as he dropped her onto the sofa, which squeaked horribly.

"Charm school," Christian replied sarcastically.

"You went to charm school?!" Satine asked laughingly.

"Yes," Christian replied with a grin. "But I actually learned that from good ol' Prince Charming in Snow White and the Seven Dwarves."

Satine laughed. "I figured."

She sat up on the couch and studied Christian's home with interest. It was small-only a bit bigger than her family's apartment-and equally shabby, but kept neat. All his furniture appeared to be secondhand, and every time she shifted just the teeniest bit on the sofa, the springs squeaked loudly. 

In the corner, a beautiful mahogany bookshelf that looked somewhat out of place stood proudly, holding dozens upon dozens of books. From To Kill a Mockingbird to Harry Potter, Satine decided he probably had more books than she'd read in her entire life.

"Would you like anything?" Christian asked with practice politeness, looking adorably shy. "Er...a soda or something? I've got water and lemonade and rootbeer...no alcohol, sorry-"

"It's all right," Satine interrupted, smiling at him. "I don't drink."

Christian grinned, looking as though he'd just discovered the ultimate coincidence. "Neither do I. So...what would you like?"

"Rootbeer's fine," Satine said.

"All right," Christian said, then disappeared into what she supposed was the kitchen. A few seconds later, he emerged again and announced with an embarrassed air, "The rootbeer's still in the trunk."

"D'you want me to help you bring the groceries in?" Satine asked.

"No, no, no, you just stay there."

"Are you sure? It's no problem-"

"Just stay," he said. "Relax or something."

"All righty then," Satine smiled. She could get used to this whole waiting-on-her-hand-and-foot thing.

As Christian disappeared outside, she rose from the couch and walked over to his TV. A stack of videos sat next to the small television...all three Star Wars movies, Jaws, Singin' in the Rain, Breakfast at Tiffany's.

Satine let out a squeal of delight as her eyes fell upon the familiar case. She'd definitely found her Prince Charming.

She heard Christian step inside, then say, "It'll be just a minute...do you want ice?"

"No thanks," Satine called back, still beaming at the Breakfast at Tiffany's case. She'd truly struck gold.

Christian appeared next to her moments later, and he handed her a glass of soda. She took it, then asked, "You like Breakfast at Tiffany's?"

Christian shrugged. "Actually, I've never seen it. It's my sister's...she's an Audrey Hepburn fanatic."

Satine fixed her expression into one of extreme shock. 

"You've NEVER seen Breakfast at Tiffany's?" she gasped.

Christian shook his head. "Nope, sorry. Am I missing out?"

"Missing out?" Satine cried dramatically. "My darling, you have yet to truly begin to live!"

Laughing, Christian asked, "So, should we watch it then?"

Satine nodded, then slid the video out of the case and popped it into the VCR. "Prepare to experience true completeness."

Christian smiled at her and squeezed her hand, then said softly, "I've already got that."

Feeling her heart flutter happily, Satine followed him onto the couch and cuddled into his arms.

Christian AND Breakfast at Tiffany's?

It couldn't get any better than this.

  
  


~*~

  
  


"So," Satine asked as the ending credits began to fill the screen. "What did you think?"

Christian struck a dramatic pose. "It was revolutionary! AMAZING! SPECTACULAR! My life truly makes sense now! I know what I am living for! How could I have survived-"

"All right, all RIGHT!" Satine laughed. "I get the picture."

"Are you an Audrey Hepburn fan?" Christian asked as he rose from the couch, stopped and rewound the video, and turned off the television.

"More than a fan..." Satine said softly. "I idolize, her, really." She laughed shortly. "Sad, isn't it?"

Christian shook his head simply.

"I just...want to act," she continued, scooting closer to him as he sat back down. "Help people escape their own dismal lives. But I'll never be able to."

"Why not?" Christian asked.

"Because...well...look at me!" Satine exclaimed.

Christian studied her for a moment.

"Well?" she asked.

He grinned. "You're about a zillion times prettier than Penelope Cruz. And you can act better, too."

"You've never SEEN me act!" Satine pointed out.

"Well," Christian said, "There's no time like the present."

"All right," Satine said, then racked her brain, trying to come up with something to act. After a moment, she decided on one of Helena's lines from A Midsummer Night's Dream. She'd always adored the play, and Helena was her favorite out of all the characters. Satine closed her eyes and allowed herself to become the character...desperately, hopelessly, eternally in love with a man who would never return her emotions. Who had given his heart to her best friend.

She opened her eyes, then began to speak softly.

"Wherefore was I to this keen mockery born?

When at your hands did I deserve this scorn?

Is't not enough, is't not enough, young man,

That I did never, no, nor never can,

Deserve a sweet look from Demetrius' eye,

But you must flout my insufficiency?"

Her voice grew louder and more passionate with each line, and she let the character take over her body. No longer were her gestures her own...no longer did her voice belong to her.

"Good troth, you do me wrong! good sooth, you do!

In such disdainful manner me to woo.

But fare you well. Perforce I must confess

I thought you lord of more true gentleness.

O, that a lady, of one man refused,

Should of another therefore be abused!"

Satine blinked a few times, allowing herself to become her again, and stared at Christian expectantly. He was staring at her in absolute awe.

"Whoa..." he muttered almost inaudibly.

"So, I was good?" she asked a bit nervously.

"That was amazing!" Christian exclaimed. "It was like...you disappeared or something!"

Satine nodded. "That's what it feels like, too."

"I swear, you're going to be famous someday," Christian proclaimed as she sank back down onto the couch and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Oh?" she asked with a delighted smile.

"Yup," Christian said. "But you've got to promise you'll remember me when you're the next Audrey Hepburn and I'm just one of the little people."

"I'll try," Satine said laughingly. 

They fell silent, and Satine closed her eyes and let the sound of Christian breathing mingled with the rain falling outside soothe her.

"I love the rain," she said sleepily, keeping her eyes closed as she snuggled a little closer to him.

"Me too," Christian murmured absently. She sighed peacefully, then shrieked as she felt Christian stand up next to her so quickly that she fell sideways on the sofa.

"Come on," he commanded laughingly, grabbing her hand and pulling her off the couch. 

"What are you doing?!" Satine asked, giggling in shock as Christian dragged her through the living room and small entry way, then outside. Her socks were immediately soaked by the wet pavement.

"Are you INSANE?" Satine laughed as he dragged her out into the small front yard, lifted her up in his arms, and began to spin her around.

"You said you liked the rain!" he said devilishly.

"When I'm INSIDE!" she shrieked. "Outside, it's so...WET!"

"Well, that's the idea!" Christian exclaimed. "Come on, you've got to live a little. Dance with me!"

"In the RAIN?!" Satine asked incredulously.

"Of course!" Christian responded, grinning adorably. "You make it sound like it's unusual!"

"Has anyone told you you're a complete psycho today?" Satine asked as she slung her arms around his shoulders and they began to dance across the lawn.

Christian shook his head, water flinging from already-soaked hair. "Nope. Surprisingly, you're the first."

She opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off when Christian began to sing.

"Singin' in the rain," he belted out, leaning down and dipping her exaggeratedly. She laughed. 

"I'm singin' in the rain!" he continued. "What a glorious feeling, I'm happy again! I'm laughing at clouds, so dark up above, the sun's in my heart, and I'm ready for love!"

They danced across the lawn once more, Satine's hysterical, giddy laughter blending with Christian's perfect voice.

"Let the stormy clouds chase everyone from the place! Come on with the rain, have a smile on your face!"

Satine giggled, planting a kiss on his lips. 

"I'll walk down the lane," Christian continued, running his fingers through her soaked hair, "With a happy refrain...singin', just singin' in the rain."

Grinning, he leaned closer and closer until their lips met. As soon as they did, fireworks erupted, sparkling and glimmering in hundreds of colors, in Satine's mind. The cold caused by the rain running down her body seemed to fade away, leaving only the warmth of contentment and love.

  
  


~*~

  
  


"I have to admit," Satine began as she accepted a mug of tea from Christian, "That I've never actually seen Singin' in the Rain before."

Christian gasped, as though she'd just admitted to committing a mortal sin. "WHAT?"

"I'm sorry," she said, tone overly solemn, as she stared down into her peppermint tea.

"Never fear, my love!" he proclaimed in a ridiculously deep, gallant voice. "Your soul can still be saved yet! All we must do is view the fine feature film!"

Satine gasped in mock awe. "That is just BRILLIANT, Mr. Matthews!"

"Why thank you, Mademoiselle Zidler," Christian replied with a roguish wink so out of character for him that it sent Satine into a fit of laughter.

"What, exactly, is it that you find so hilarious about me?" he asked as he sat down on the couch next to her after he'd popped in the movie and turned on the TV.

"I don't know..." Satine said softly, then gave him a small smile. "But you can make me laugh. No one can make me laugh."

"Well, then," he grinned. "It seems as though I've conquered an extraordinary feat."

"You have," Satine agreed laughingly, snuggling up to him and resting her head on his shoulder. The opening credits filled the screen, but Satine couldn't bring herself to pay attention to the movie. All she could concentrate on was Christian. 

And the way he made her feel.

No man had ever made her feel like that. And doing what she did, she'd met a lot of men.

Satine took a shaky breath inward as Christian kissed the top of her head and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. 

This...this was it.

She was in love.

  
  
  
  



	6. His Diamond

~ * ~ A * S T O R Y * A B O U T * L O V E ~ * ~

  
  


by She's a Star

  
  


A/N: Thank you thank you thank you for the reviews :) I looove you guys. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

  
  
  
  


Chapter 6: His Diamond

  
  
  
  


Satine was so beautiful.

Christian couldn't help but stare in awe at her as she slept, curled up into a tiny ball in the corner of the sofa. She'd fallen asleep last night when the movie had barely even begun, and he hadn't been able to find it in his heart to wake her. So he'd laid there all night, quite uncomfortably, and watched her.

The sun was shining through the window, right in Satine's eyes, and after an annoyed groan, they fluttered open. She studied her surroundings for a moment before grinning lazily. 

"Good morning," she murmured.

"Good morning," he echoed, kissing her cheek.

"I can't believe I fell asleep," Satine said, stretching her arms above her head lazily. "Harry and Mom are probably worried."

"You can call them if you'd like," Christian said. "The phone is in the kitchen."

"All right," Satine said, "But can I take a shower first?"

"Sure," Christian said, trying desperately to be the good boy his mother had raised him as and not think about Satine in the shower. "The bathroom's right down the hall."

"Thanks," she said, giving him a quick kiss on the lips before rising from the couch and disappearing down the hall.

Christian began to sing softly under his breath as he made his way to the tiny kitchen and began to make coffee. 

Still, coffee didn't seem enough....

Twenty minutes later, he'd whipped up a gourmet breakfast, complete with scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, and pancakes.

"Mmm, smells good," he heard Satine comment as he poured himself a glass of orange juice. 

Christian turned around. "Yeah, well, I..."

His voice trailed off as he saw her. Her hair was wet, and tiny glistening drops fell to the shoulders of an old L.A. Lakers t-shirt she'd apparently taken out of his room. Biting his lip, he tried very hard not to stare openly at her long, tanned legs.

"Cat got your tongue?" she asked, coming over and wrapping her arms around him. 

"I...er...uh..."

"Oh, shut up," Satine said teasingly before pressing her lips to his own. 

Bliss, bliss, bliss, bliss, bliss, bliss, bliss, bliss...

Even though Christian usually thought himself to be a fairly intelligent guy, he was pretty positive that he couldn't have strung together a sentence if someone'd asked him to.

So, naturally, he didn't notice when his front door swung open.

As a matter of fact, he was still blissfully in Satineland until-  
"CHRISTIAN!"

Christian immediately pulled away from Satine, quick as lightning, to see Mrs. Matthews standing there, Travis at her side.

Uh oh, he thought weakly.

"The HOOKER actually came HOME with YOU?" Travis asked incredulously.

At this, Mrs. Matthews let out a positively horrified gasp and had to lean on Travis in order not to fall to the floor.

"Er...Mom," Christian said, panicked. "Mom, Mom, Mother, calm down, it's okay-"

"Lookin' for some hot stuff baby this evening!" Travis sang in a high, shrill voice. Mrs. Matthews gasped again.

"Fuck OFF, Travis!" Christian shouted.

"CHRISTIAN!" Mrs. Matthews exclaimed in horror.

"Oh, shit-"

"CHRIS-TIAN!"

"Er...sorry, Mom, really sorry," Christian said, surprised that his mother hadn't fallen over dead then and there. "This is Satine Zilder, Satine, this is my mom-"

"Keep away from my baby boy, you WHORE!" Mrs. Matthews screeched. "And I don't know what he said he was paying you, but he DOESN'T HAVE ANY MONEY!" She then turned to Christian, and he winced, ready to face the wrath of Mom. 

"And, YOU, young man," she hissed, eyes glinting dangerously, "You should be ASHAMED! Twenty-two years of church, Christian Matthews! TWENTY-TWO YEARS DOWN THE DRAIN! The Lord can never forgive you now, after this...this ACT OF SIN!"

"Mom, I didn't sleep with her!" he exclaimed, feeling both very awkward and very annoyed. "She just slept here!"

"Don't try to reword it, and DON'T YOU DARE lie to your mother!" Mrs. Matthews exclaimed. "Have you forgotten your ten commandments already? Thou shalt honor thy father and mother-"

"I KNOW, Mom!" Christian exclaimed. "And I'm SORRY for swearing in your presence, but that's the only thing God's got against me right now! I did NOT sleep with Satine, she just stayed over to watch movies and-"

"Hookers don't get paid to watch MOVIES, Christian!" Mrs. Matthews shrieked shrilly. "I think I would KNOW!"

"Oooh, Mrs. M, got something you're not telling us?" Travis asked.

She turned to Travis, positively fuming with rage, and...passed out.

"Oh, that was real great, Travis," Christian cried. "Remind me to KILL YOU sometime!"

"I'll tell my secretary to make a note of it," Travis said absently, then turned to Satine, who looked positively terrified.

"That's what you get when you do business with this guy," he informed her. "And sorry to inform you, sweetie, but I doubt he's even got a twenty in his wallet."

This was apparently too much for Satine.

"My GOD!" she exploded angrily. "Is that all you people think I am? A freaking prostitute? I'm a person, too, you know! But SO far, CHRISTIAN is the only one who's come to realize that!"

"Hey, hey," Travis said, holding up his hands innocently, "You're an independent woman. I understand. Whore, no; independent woman, yes."

"Oh, shut up!" Satine and Christian snapped in unison.

"Maybe I should go," Satine said softly, taking Christian's hand in her own and squeezing it.

"Yeah...probably," Christian agreed reluctantly. 

"You know," Satine smiled shyly, "I never did get to watch Singin' in the Rain...maybe you could call me and we could watch it sometime?"

Christian grinned. "Of course."

"I'd write it down, but I'm too lazy," Satine said. "It's under the phone book under Zidler...and YES, pathetic as it is, I'm still stuck living with my parents."

"I don't think you could ever be pathetic," Christian said, planting a kiss on her cheek.

"Oh, GAG ME!" Travis groaned. "Can't you just let the girl leave already? And," he added with a wink, "I wouldn't bother with putting on any pants, sista."

Satine's cheeks flushed in either anger, embarrassment, or both, and she rolled her eyes at him before disappearing back into the bathroom to change.

As soon as she was out of earshot, Travis lost it at Christian.

"SINGIN' IN THE RAIN?!" he asked in horror. "Singin' in the freaking Rain? What were you THINKING?! Watching some damn musical is NOT going to impress the ladies, buddy. You're supposed to impress her with your manliness...watch Mission Impossible or something."

"I can't stand Tom Cruise," Christian responded.

"Aw, dude," Travis grinned cheekily. "You're just jealous 'cause she'll think he's cuter than you."

"Oh, puh-leeze, Travis," Christian said, "She's at least two inches taller than him...she could never wear heels!"

"So you're planning their future out now?" Travis asked, sticking his tongue out. "You are twisted, my friend."

"I wouldn't talk," Christian retorted as Satine emerged from the bathroom, clad in her sweatshirt and jeans from the day before.

After eyeing Travis as though he were some sort of mutant with three heads (Christian noticed that his best friend got that a lot from females), Satine wrapped her arms around Christian and gave him a quick kiss.

"You'd better call me soon, Mr. Matthews," she said with a teasing grin. "I'll be waiting by the phone."

"I'll try to remember you," Christian responded with a wink. 

"Oh, thank you," Satine drawled. "You're so generous. I'll see you later."

"Bye," Christian waved, grinning like an idiot as Satine stepped out the door and closed it.

"Dude, you are an IDIOT," Travis proclaimed. "You're totally head-over-heels in love with a freaking hooker."

"Quit calling her that."

"I only speak the truth," Travis said innocently.

"Just shut up," Christian commanded, then stared down at his mother, whose eyes were fluttering open. As soon as they opened fully, a dangerous glint took over them.

"Erm...hi Mom," Christian said weakly.

"If you still lived at home, you would be GROUNDED FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE, young man! If your father could see how you're carrying on here...."

Christian rolled his eyes as he helped his mother from the floor and pretended to listen as she rambled on and on. 

His mind drifted off, only registering bits of sentences in his brain.

"Horrendous act of sin..."

Satine was so perfect...

"Can't believe MY son would..."

So beautiful, so sweet...and yet she was trapped in a hell that she didn't deserve.

"...Never been more ashamed of you!"

He had to play the valiant knight. He had to save her.

"...Now, what do you have to say for yourself?"

Without even considering the words coming out of his mouth, Christian said with a dreamy smile, "I'm in love."

  


~*~

  
  


"Mo-mmmm," Satine whined, "I can't find my lipstick. Have you seen it?"

"On the kitchen counter," Marie responded as she lit yet another cigarette.

"That's so unhealthy," Satine chided her mother lightly as she grabbed her lipstick from the counter. 

"I know," Marie said. "It's addicting...don't you ever start."

"Don't worry, I won't," Satine said. "I'm a good girl."

Marie raised a skeptical eyebrow at her, and Satine felt her cheeks flush.

Oh yes, she was a good girl. Such the good little whore.

Well, not anymore. Not if this dinner went well. If it did, she could be the next Julia Roberts.

And even if it didn't, she wasn't going back to L'amour Fou. She was sick of being the Sparkling Diamond.

"I gotta go," she said, smoothing out her black velvet dress (yet another thrift shop find) and grabbing the keys to her car.

"Good luck, Lovie."

"Thanks, Mom," Satine called over her shoulder as she slammed the door and hurried down the stairs. A few of the hookers, all extremely ditzy and even more annoying, were sitting on the bar, giggling about something.

"Hey," Nini drawled in her New York accent, tone dripping with sarcasm. "Where you going, princess?"

"None of your business," Satine responded curtly.

"Ohh, but of course," Nini nodded in mock understanding. "Our Sparkling Diamond is SO high above us that we shouldn't even think to ask where she's going. After all, we're just lowly whores."

Satine didn't give her the satisfaction of replying, and tried her best to ignore the harsh laughter that rang in her ears as she stepped out onto the sidewalk.

"I'll show them," she muttered bitterly as she unlocked the door to her Bug. "When I win my Oscar, they sure as hell aren't going to be mentioned in my acceptance speech."

  
  


~*~

  
  


Waiting...waiting...

The door swung open...and in stepped a middle-aged couple.

Mark Murdock's heart fell, and he continued to watch intensely. Where was she??? 

"Satine," he murmured to himself, his pulse racing at the mere sound of her name echoing in his ears. 

She was beautiful...so beautiful. He needed her. She was like an addiction, a drug. He needed to see her now...to smell that soft vanilla scent, to run his fingers over smooth, ivory skin...

Desire overtook him.

Where was she?!

Where?!

He needed her now!

Ohh, he'd make her famous. He'd make her a star. Bigger than Meg Ryan, bigger than Julia Roberts...she would be the next Marilyn Monroe.

And she would be on his arm...everyone would see, oh they'd see. She was the most beautiful woman in all the world...a siren, a goddess, an angel.

Every man would envy him. Every man would want her.

But every man couldn't have her.

Oh no.

She would be his and his alone.

His precious, his sweet, his diamond...

To feel her against him...

His diamond...

Where...

His precious...

His beautiful...

His diamond...

His. His. His.

Where was...

His alone.

WHERE WAS SHE?!

BAM!

Trembling in anger, Murdock slammed his fist down onto the table, causing the water in his crystal glass to spill over and a woman at a near table to gasp in surprise.

"Are you all right, Mr. Murdock, sir?" a nervous-looking waitress asked as she rushed over.

She was blonde...average height.

Not like Satine...Satine was tall and slender and graceful...and her hair, the sweetest red...

HE NEEDED HER!

This woman wasn't Satine...wasn't, couldn't be, was trying to be Satine, couldn't be Satine! He didn't want her...he didn't want this woman! Get her away! She couldn't be Satine! She wasn't Satine...trying to be Satine. Wasn't his diamond.

"Go...away," Murdock hissed.

"Yes, Mr. Murdock," the waitress said, rushing away.

Away...gone. He didn't need her.

He only needed Satine. 

"Satine," he whispered again.

Needed her...now...his diamond...his...beautiful...envy of everyone...his diamond...so beautiful...desire, desire...such soft skin...need to feel her skin...her lips...

WHERE WAS SHE?!?!

The door swung open once more, and in she stepped. Immediately, Murdock began to breathe normally again.

Everything was all right. She was here. His diamond, his Satine.

She was gorgeous...so beautiful. He needed her, needed her closer, needed to feel her.

Her eyes, so blue, so piercing, studied the restaurant for a moment before she spotted him. He raised his hand and waved casually, and she fluttered her fingers back at him.

Hands...so amazing...soft, smooth, ivory, long, red nails...red. Crimson. Scarlet. Blood red.

Blood.

Blood.

Blood.

She was so beautiful, so amazing...but no, he wouldn't rush. He would be a gentleman. She would fall in love with him, and oh, how she would please him.

Her skin...her hands on him...hands...fingernails...red...blood.

His diamond.

Shaking with pent up desire, he studied her with wide eyes, trying to drink in the sight of her. 

Diamond...his diamond...his sweet...skin...touch...kiss...hands...red...blood...his...

His diamond.

"She is mine."

  


~*~

  
  


"It was so nice of you to join me here tonight," Murdock said with an almost creepy smile. A candle flickered in the center of their table, causing shadows to dance across his rabbit-like face.

"It's a pleasure," Satine responded softly, slowly tracing her lips with her tongue and thanking whoever had invented the apply and glossify brilliance of Outlast lip color. She was definitely going all-out smoldering temptress tonight, but she couldn't help it. She needed a part in this movie. 

She needed to fly away.

"You certainly are perfect for the lead role in my next picture," Murdock continued, sipping his wine. "I pictured her just like you when I wrote her...and then I visited the club and found you. Fate must have planned this." He laughed, the sound devoid of humor and downright creepy.

Satine shuddered, but replied with an airy laugh of her own, "That must be it." She sighed and took a sip of her water before asking, "Why did you visit the club in the first place?"

Murdock was quiet for a moment before replying.

"Just because I'm in the movie business, I don't restrict myself to the finest restaurants and such," he squeaked...er, said. "I sometimes lower myself to the common public."

Yeah right, Satine thought as she forced a smile instead of the smirk she was dying to wear, You're just slime who can't get any unless he pays for it.

"That's so nice of you," Satine breathed. "You're so incredibly level-headed."

"Thank you," beamed Murdock. "And as far as I'm concerned, Miss Zidler, you're our new leading lady."

Satine used all her self-control not to break out into song, skipping around the restaurant and smiling like an escapee from the insane asylum.

Instead, she plastered a Sparkling Diamond smile on her face and responded airily, "Well, thank you, Mr. Murdock. I'm sure I'll enjoy doing business with you."


	7. Puppies and Birthday Cakes

~ * ~ A * S T O R Y * A B O U T * L O V E ~ * ~

  
  


by She's a Star

  
  
  
  


Chapter Seven: Puppies and Birthday Cakes

  
  
  
  


A real actress, a real actress, a real, real, real actress...

Satine couldn't hold back her giddy smile as she slammed the door of her car and skipped into L'amour Fou. A horrendously loud rap song filled her ears as soon as she entered the club, and many of the men there ogled her appreciatively.

She ignored them, still singing inwardly.

A real, real, real actress! A real actress, a real actress!

"Hey baby," a slimy-looking middle aged man stepped in front of the door that led up to her family's apartment. "I'll give you fifty bucks to rock my world."

"Sorry, buddy," Satine said, rolling her eyes. "I've got the night off."

And with that, she slipped past him and upstairs. Nini was standing in the corner of the hallway, muttering to a short man who she had her arms wrapped around. 

"Hey, Satine," the man, who Satine discovered was Travis, pushed Nini away from him. Nini crossed her arms angrily and a stream of muttered curse words escaped her lips as Travis made his way over to her.

"Hi, Travis," she greeted him with a smile. "Did Christian come with you?"

Travis nodded. "He said he was gonna wait in the Paris Room...which is hopefully unoccupied." He winked.

"Funny," Satine drawled. "Thanks...I'll see you around."

"See ya," Travis echoed, then turned back to a disgruntled-looking Nini. "Now, where were we?"

Satine smiled to herself as she skipped down the hall and pushed the door to the Paris Room open. Sure enough, Christian sat on the bed, a bouquet of roses in his arms.

"Hey you," Satine greeted him with a warm smile. 

"For Mademoiselle Satine," he said extravagantly, handing her the flowers. 

"Why, thank you, Monsieur," Satine purred, setting the flowers aside and sinking down onto his lap. After kissing him lightly, she asked, "So, how long have you been here?"

He shrugged with his signature boyish grin. "Not long...an hour or so."

"An hour?!" Satine asked laughingly. "Sitting up here all alone?"

Christian nodded. "I determined from my first visit that I'm not exactly the night club type."

Satine shook her head. "Believe me, neither am I."

"Oh yes," Christian agreed, absently twirling one of her red curls around his finger. "That's just why you're the star of one."

"Believe me," Satine sighed, "This was NOT my number one career choice."

The mischievous sparkle suddenly gone from his eyes, Christian asked solemnly, "Then why are you here?"

Satine inhaled sharply.

This was it-the moment she'd known was going to happen sooner or later. For so long, she'd kept every single emotion she experienced to herself...and she'd never expected that she would spill out her far-less-than-perfect story to ANYONE.

But Christian...Christian was different.

He was watching her intently, his blue eyes sympathetic, and Satine suddenly felt a yearning to tell him...a yearning to confide in him.

She sighed, then opened her mouth and began to speak softly.

"When I was in high school, I didn't have very many friends," she said. "I was the tall, awkward, ugly one-"

"Ugly?!" Christian asked incredulously. "No way. No way in hell."

"ExCUSE me, I'm TALKING here!" Satine said teasingly.

"Sorry, sorry."

"Anyway..." Satine sighed wistfully. "No guys ever asked me out, and no girls ever wanted to hang out with me. I got good enough grades...straight A's for my first two years. But then I got a D in math in my junior year, and an F in senior. That totally screwed up my getting any scholarships, and we couldn't afford college. My dad was a total bastard-he left me and my mom when I was nine, and Mom and Harry got married when I was sixteen. Harry wasn't doing so well money-wise, and he opened the club when I was eighteen."

Satine paused before continuing sarcastically, "I was an arrogant idiot...I refused to get a job at McDonald's. No way in hell...oh, no way the oh-so-wonderful Satine could work there. God forbid she make some french fries.

"I wanted to act...I wanted to act more than anything. Wanted to be the next Audrey Hepburn. But it was pretty damn obvious that wasn't happening...I wanted to get out of L.A. for a while and move to Paris, but I was flat broke. There was no way Marie and Harry could afford to send me there either. And then one night I came into L'amour Fou and saw a few of the girls dancing on the bar...and men were throwing fifty dollar bills at them. Fifty freaking dollar bills! I thought, 'Well, I can do that. It's just dancing. In a while, I'll be able to afford Paris.' But then things just got out of hand, and most of my...earnings went to paying the rent," She gestured unenthusiastically around the room. "And that's how I ended up here."

Christian planted a kiss on her lips, then murmured softly into her ear, "One day we'll go to Paris. Together. I promise."

Satine sighed. "If only-"

"We WILL," Christian repeated firmly. "And you'll have the time of your life, buying expensive French fashions and eating croissants and doing the can-can all day long."

Satine laughed, resting her head on his shoulder. "That sounds perfect."

Christian took her hand in his own and smiled.

"It will be."

  
  


~*~

  
  


What, exactly, were you supposed to buy the love of your life for their twenty-third birthday? 

As Satine strolled forlornly down the sidewalk, she studied the displays in the shop windows. Sports equipment...didn't seem like his thing. An adult bookstore. Nada. Lingerie...

"This is ridiculous," Satine muttered angrily to herself, hooking her thumbs into the belt loops of her jeans and sighing. "I..."

"Damn stray!" an annoyed, somewhat scratchy voice shrieked. A few seconds later, a middle-aged woman stepped out of a burger joint, holding a golden retriever puppy in her hands. "Stay out of the damn restaurant or I'll have you SHOT!" 

The puppy wiggled and yelped, desperately trying to free itself from her strong grasp. 

"Ohh, scared, are you?" the woman asked with a short, bitter laugh. "Well, stay AWAY!"

And with that, she threw the puppy down and stomped back into the restaurant. It sat on the pavement, looking incredibly shaken, tiny blonde tail in between its legs.

"Ohh," Satine cooed. "Poor baby."

The puppy looked up at her with huge eyes, thumping its tail weakly.

"Is that witchy lady mean to you?" she asked warmly, easing slowly towards it. She didn't want to frighten the puppy...especially after that bitch had practically scared the shit out of the poor thing.

"Hey honey," Satine continued as she sank slowly down onto the ground and tapped her knees lightly. The puppy stood up and began to walk slowly towards her, the hair on its back standing up straight.

It couldn't have been more than two months old-the dog was teeny, though its huge feet showed just how big it would be full size.

She scooped the puppy up into her arms, petting it and murmuring softly. After a few moments, it looked up at her and licked her nose.

Satine laughed as the puppy barked playfully at her.

Finding Christian a present had been easier than she'd expected.

  
  


~*~

  
  


"He's coming, he's coming!" Satine reported, immediately backing away from the window and practically diving behind the old sofa. 

"He is?" Travis asked, standing up. Satine yanked violently at the hem of his shirt, pulling him back down.

"Yes, he is, you MORON," she scolded him playfully. "Don't ruin the surprise."

"Sorr-ee."

"Woof," contributed the puppy (which Satine had christened Petite Princesse), who wore a ridiculously red bow around her neck.

"Shhh," Satine said, pressing a finger to Princesse's snout.

"Sure, you're nice to HER," Travis muttered bitterly.

"I-"

Satine shut her mouth immediately when Christian stepped inside. He stared around the house for a moment, as though expecting something, then came over and sank down onto the couch. Slowly, Satine stood up behind him and put her hands over his eyes.

"I wonder who that could be," he said teasingly, putting his hands on top of her own.

"Happy birthday to you," Satine purred seductively. "Happy birthday to you...happy birthday, dear Christian."

She danced around the couch, sat down next to him, and perched her long legs across his lap.

"Happy birthday to you," she finished, then planted a kiss on his lips.  
"And many more!" Travis contributed, popping up from behind the couch.

Satine and Christian broke away from each other.

"Hey, Travis," Christian greeted his best friend laughingly.

"So, Satine," Travis asked in a Mr. Smooth tone. "Are you gonna sing happy birthday to me?"

"Sure, what the hell. When's your birthday?"

"Er...today," Travis said. "Honest. Me and Christie, we're twins."

"Oh really," Satine said teasingly. "Well, in that case..." 

She rose from Christian's lap, wrapped her arms around Travis (she towered over him by at least five inches), and put a seductive expression on her face. 

Then, her lips only inches from his ear, she began to sing. Her voice extremely loud and full of fake enthusiasm, she belted out, "Happy happy birthday from all of us to you! We wish it was our birthday so we could party too! HEY!"

Travis pulled away, fingering his ear gingerly as Christian laughed. 

"I was thinking something along the lines of Christian's performance," he said bitterly. 

"Nah," Satine said with a grin, returning to Christian's arms. "The Emperor's New Groove is brilliant when it comes to birthday songs."

"You watch Disney movies?" Travis asked skeptically.

Satine smiled. "Of course-doesn't everybody?"

"Sooo," Christian said with a grin. "What'd you get me?"

"Ah, yes," Satine said, rising from his lap and going behind the couch. Princesse was sitting obediently, still not making a sound. Smiling at the puppy, she lifted it and placed it onto the couch. 

"Happy birthday," she and Travis chorused.

A huge grin immediately spread across Christian's face, and he lifted the puppy into his arms. 

"Honey, this is Petite Princesse," Satine said with a grin. "Princesse for short."

"Petite Princesse?" Christian asked laughingly. "How the heck did you come up with that?"

"I'm very skilled at naming dogs," Satine responded solemnly. "It's a skill I've had since birth."

"Oh, I see," Christian said, scratching affectionately behind the puppy's ears. "Among your many other talents, I'm sure."

"Of course," Satine laughed. "Now, let's go have some cake."

"You made me a cake?"

"Naturally!" Satine exclaimed teasingly. "That's the girlfriend's job, isn't it?"

"I suppose," Christian smiled, rising from the sofa to follow her into the kitchen. Princesse was snuggled happily in his arms.

Satine gestured dramatically to the perfectly-frosted vanilla cake which read 'Happy Birthday, Christian!' and was decorated with intricate, tiny multicolored swirls. 

"You made that?" Christian asked incredulously.

"Well..." Satine said slowly. "Erm...not exactly."

"Oh really?" Christian asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Really," Satine confirmed, nodding. "That one's from the bakery downtown. But I DID make you a cake."

"You did?" Christian asked.

"Yup," Satine said earnestly, then swung open the refrigerator to reveal what she was sure was the most pathetic excuse for a cake ever created. It was horribly lopsided, and the middle had about caved in; the cap for the sprinkles had fallen off during the process of decorating it, and there was a huge clump of them in the middle. To make matters even worse, she'd run out of icing before she'd finished writing, which now meant that the cake read, in gooey blue letters, "Happy Birthday, Christ".

Yup...definitely the most pathetic cake Satine had ever seen.

"Five hours of absolute baking hell gone to waste," she proclaimed.

Christian, however, beamed at her and pecked her on the cheek. 

"My darling," he proclaimed in an exaggerated British accent, "It is by far the most beautiful cake I've ever seen."

Satine raised an eyebrow. "You don't watch the Food Network much, do you?"

Christian laughed appreciatively and, after setting Princesse down on the floor, flung his arms around her.

"Who needs a fancy cake, anyway?" he asked, grinning. "Overrated, in my opinion."

"If you're sure," Satine said, planting a kiss on her index finger and touching it lightly to his lips. "But if you get food poisoning, you're not blaming me. Got it?"

Christian nodded, leaning in to kiss her.

"Got it," he responded with a smile.


	8. The Plot Thickens

~ * ~ A * S T O R Y * A B O U T * L O V E ~ * ~

  
  


by She's a Star

  
  


A/N: Wheeehaw! Over 100 reviews...how I love you guys :) 

  
  
  
  
  
  


Chapter Eight: The Plot Thickens

  
  


Satine had barely taken a sip from her morning cup of coffee when a loud, frantic knock on the door sounded. Groaning, she forced herself to get up from her chair and made her way over to the living room. 

"Come on!" Christian's smiling face exclaimed as soon as the door was opened. He grabbed her hand and dragged her from the apartment, barely giving her time to slip into a pair of beat-up sneakers and close the door behind her.

"Where are we going?!" she asked laughingly as he dragged her through a deserted L'amour Fou and outside to where his station wagon was parked.

"The happiest place on earth!" Christian responded, swinging open the door to the passenger seat and gesturing to it with flourish. Satine climbed inside, then waited for him to get in before questioning him further.

"Where?" Satine asked. "You mean Wal*Mart?"

"Of course not!" Christian exclaimed. "We've been there already...no, my love, I am taking you to...Disneyland!"

"Disneyland?!" Satine squealed in delight, immediately forgetting the fact that she was a twenty-two year old prostitute. After all, everyone could appreciate Disneyland.

Christian nodded as he pulled out of the parking lot. "But of course, my sweet lady!"

"I haven't been there since I was at least twelve!" Satine laughed, rolling down the window and allowing the cool breeze that caused her red hair to fly freely around her face.

"Well, prepare to er...uh...go again," Christian finished his sentence weakly. 

"Your usual flourish for the spoken word has failed you, Mr. Matthews," Satine teased, then switched on the radio. Immediately, the vocals of the legendary Frank Sinatra filled the car. 

"I know I stand in line until you think you have the time to spend an evening with me," Satine and Christian sang in over-dramatized unison. "And if we go some place to dance, I know that there's a chance you won't be leaving with me. Then afterwards we'll drop into a quiet little place and have a drink or two...and then I go and spoil it all by sayin' something stupid like I love you."

They spent the rest of the drive listening to oldies music and singing along with it at the top of their lungs, which, as you can imagine, earned them a few confused glances from other drivers. Satine responded to these looks by waving merrily and raising her voice even louder.

By the time they reached Disneyland, Satine declared to herself that the majority of the people they'd passed on the road probably thought them to be escapees from an insane asylum.

Satine felt her heart race excitedly as they quickly made their way through the front gate and onto main street. She studied the map that they'd gotten at the gate and said to Christian, "Oooh, let's go to Frontierland first. They've got that Big Thunder Mountain Railroad one...I love that."

Christian seemed to turn a bit green.

"Erm...must we?" he asked weakly.

"Why?" Satine asked teasingly, putting a hand on her hip. "Are you...afraid?"

"No!" Christian immediately said defensively. "I'm just...."

"You're scared," Satine proclaimed in a sing-songy voice. "You're scared to go on the Thunder Mountain Railroad. Seven year olds go on that ride, and THEY'RE not scared!"

"Fine!" Christian said defiantly, taking her hand from her hip and entwining her fingers with his own. "Let's go then."

"Let's," Satine grinned, squeezing his hand. "I'm sure we'll have tons of fun."

"Oh, tons," Christian agreed dryly as he allowed Satine to drag him through the crowds of people and into Frontierland.

"We're almost the-ere," Satine taunted wickedly.

"Are you SURE you wanna go on that ride first?" Christian asked casually. "I mean, wouldn't you rather go on the Mark Twain Riverboat? Boats are good!"

"Ya know," Satine said sweetly, "I haven't really liked boats since I saw Titanic."

"Well," Christian snapped back, "I haven't really liked roller coasters since...never mind."

"Ooh, Mr. Matthews," Satine teased as they took their place in line for the ride. "I think you just came dangerously close to giving a confession."

"Never!" Christian replied dramatically, then added with practiced nonchalance, "You know, this line is pretty long. Maybe we should go ride another one. Maybe Dumbo!"

"Oh, it's not THAT long," Satine said sweetly, "As a matter of fact, we'll probably get on to the next ride."

She laughed at Christian's not-so-enthusiastic expression.

"Looking forward to it?" she asked jokingly.

"Like you wouldn't believe," he deadpanned.

Sure enough, ten minutes later they were being loaded up onto the ride.

"Call me psychic," Satine said cheerfully.

"Psychic," Christian said wearily, looking a bit green. 

Satine felt a wave of sympathy run through her.

"Aw, don't worry baby," she cooed over-exaggeratedly, hoping to get a smile out of him. "I'll always be here to hold your hand."

Christian looked up from his sneakers to her, and though his face still wore a playful smile, his earnest tone and naive eyes displayed just how serious he was.

"Always?"

Satine squeezed his hand in confirmation. 

"Always."

  
  


~*~

  
  


Satine groaned reluctantly as Christian pulled his station wagon into the parking lot of L'amour Fou hours later. She'd spent the whole day in the sun surrounded by life-sized Disney characters and giddy children, and while it would probably result in a horrible sunburn, she was happy. The last thing she wanted right then was to return to the dismal reality of her life. 

The fact that she was having dinner with Murdock made it all the more dismal.

"I don't wanna go," she whined as he pulled the car to a stop. 

"I don't want you to go," Christian responded, planting a kiss into her rather tangled mass of red curls. "Why don't you just ditch this Murdock guy? I mean, he's ONLY a major Hollywood director...no one important."

"Yeah," Satine yawned, stretching her arms out above her head. "You know, I would just ditch him except for one fact."

"And that is...?"

Satine smiled lazily at him. "I loathe you with every fiber in my being and can't stand another minute of your company."

Christian immediately let out a series of strangled gasps. 

"What?!" he choked in mock horror. "How COULD you?!" After a dramatic pause, he declared, "I know what's going on! You're in LOVE with Murdock!"

"You caught me," Satine proclaimed dramatically, lifting a hand to her forehead. "I'm SORRY, Christian, but I just can't HELP it! There's something about the life-sized rodent type that just really...whoo baby."

"I suppose I can't blame you," Christian declared in a horrible British accent. "And while we're spilling our secrets, my darling, I may as well let you know this."

"What is it?" Satine asked, breaking the dramatic pause that followed his proclamation. "Please, dahling, don't kill me with the suspense of it all!"

"Well," Christian announced with gusto, "I'm having an affair with Joan Rivers."

"Joan Rivers?!" Satine gasped. "How COULD you, Christian? I never would have expected you to be an admirer of the blonde-plastic-and-over-fifty type!"

"I'm sorry, my darling," Christian said. "Perhaps you'd best leave now...make it the less painful for the both of us."

Satine wiped an imaginary tear from the corner of her eye. "Perhaps you're right."

She planted a quick kiss on his lips.

"Farewell, my love," she said with a smile as she climbed out of the car.

"Good bye, my sweet," Christian responded as he started up the car again. "Your place will never be filled in my heart!"

"Nor shall yours, good sir," Satine giggled, waving merrily after him as he drove from the parking lot. God...that was probably the most fun she'd ever had playing pretend. And at the age of twenty-two, no less.

Smiling like an idiot, Satine skipped her way across the parking lot and pushed open the door. However, a grim-sounding voice coming from inside immediately popped her happy bubble.

"Mr. Zidler, if you fail to pay the rent again, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to find somewhere else to live," a toneless yet bonechilling tone said.

"But...but...oh, I assure you, sir, I'll have it to you as soon as possible!"

Harry was panicked. 

Satine immediately felt a shiver run up and down her spine.

Harry was never panicked.

"Strike two, Mr. Zidler," the voice belonging to their landlord informed him coldly. "Three strikes, you're out."

"I swear it, sir, I'll have it to you by the end of this month-"

"I don't need your words, Zidler. Just the check."

And with that, the man rose from the bar stool on which he'd been sitting and breezed past Satine and out of the club.

Harry looked up at Satine worriedly, and she was sure her expression contained the same emotion.

Finally she spoke, her voice sounding disgustingly meek and small.

"What are we going to do, Harry?"

Harry sighed deeply and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"I don't know, chickpea," he murmured. "But don't worry. Just become another Audrey Hepburn for us, pigeon. I know you can do it. Then all of our problems will be solved."

"I'll try," Satine muttered, leaning her head on his shoulder. "I'll try."

  
  


~*~

  
  


It sure was pricey, to visit the city of love.

Christian groaned in annoyance as he pressed the Back button on his browser. He wanted more than anything to surprise Satine with tickets to Paris, but that clearly wasn't going to happen.

Why did everything have to be so damn expensive???

Groaning again, he rubbed Princesse's ears affectionately and clicked on a link announcing in bold blue font "The Moulin Rouge".

Christian had always been fascinated by the nightclub. The diamond dogs, the legendary courtesans, the eccentric performers, Toulouse-Lautrec...everything.

A picture of Satine painted itself in his mind, and he smiled. He could easily see her performing at the grand nightclub in her diamond-studded corset and top hat. The Sparkling Diamond...she could have easily been the star of the Moulin Rouge, back in its time.

And he could play the part of the handsome (well...sort of) hero who came to save her from the underworld.

Her penniless poet.

Immediately, inspiration struck him full-force.

"The Moulin Rouge!" he proclaimed so loudly that Princesse yelped in indignation and leapt from his lap.

Hurriedly, he clicked into a word processing program and began to type, the words flying from his mind at an almost frighteningly rapid speed.

'The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return...'

  
  


~*~

  
  


"Thank you again for escorting me home," Satine said sweetly to Murdock as he led her up to the door of L'amour Fou. "It really wasn't necessary."

"Oh, nonsense," Murdock smiled, contorting his face horribly. "It's the least I can do for my lead actress."

I'm not your anything, buddy, Satine thought disgustedly. However, she managed a smile back as she stared down at the copy of the script he'd given her that evening. This was it...this made it official.

She was an actress.

"Well, I'd better head inside," Satine said, drenching her tone with insincere regret. "Thanks again, Mr. Murdock. Good evening."

"Good night."

Satine let out a huge sigh of relief as soon as she stepped inside, and was immediately greeted by Harry.

"Kitten, the phone's been ringing off the hook for you!" he announced merrily. "It's that nice boy...Christian. You'd better give him a call. Sounds urgent."

"All rightie," Satine pecked him on the cheek. "Thanks, Harry."

She heard his chuckles ringing through her ears as she rushed upstairs and into the kitchen, then dialed his number quickly on their ancient telephone.

He picked up on the first ring.

"Hello?"

"What's going on?" Satine asked, twirling the phone cord around her finger.

"Satine!" he immediately cried in delight. "You gotta get over here now!"

"What's going on?!" Satine repeated laughingly.

"It's a surprise," he said mysteriously. "Just come over."

"You know," Satine said teasingly, "I'm really tired. I'm not sure I'm up to it."

"Satine Zidler, get your perfect ass over here right now or you will pay. Dearly."

"Oh, how can a girl resist an order like that?" Satine giggled. "Okay, I'll be right there."

She hung up the phone, then quickly announced to Marie, who was watching Breakfast at Tiffany's, where she would be.

"You're really hung up on this one, aren't you?" Marie asked with a slight smile through her usual cloud of smoke.

"Desperately," Satine responded, grinning, as she snatched up her car keys from the counter.

The second she arrived at Christian's, he swung open the door and practically dragged her inside the house.

"Goodness," Satine said, beaming, "What's going on? So impatient."

"My darling muse, you've saved me from the seemingly eternal hell of writer's block," Christian announced dramatically, kissing her neck.

"Well...that's good."

"Good?!" Christian asked, picking her up in his arms and spinning her around a few times. "That's EXCELLENT!"

Satine laughed and kissed him quickly on the tip of his nose. "If you say so. So, Monsieur Future Best-selling Author, do I get to hear what you've written so far?"

"Sure," Christian beamed. "I haven't written much...a few pages, but I've got the whole story planned out."

"So, what's it about?"

"Well, it takes place during turn-of-the-century Montmartre in the infamous Moulin Rouge. A young writer travels from England to take part in the Bohemian Revolution, to write about truth, beauty, freedom, and above all things...love."

"Aww," Satine grinned. "How sweet."

"Yes," Christian's eyes sparkled animatedly as he spoke. "And then a Narcoleptic Argentinean falls through his ceiling, and Toulouse-Lautrec comes marching in after him!"

"What?!" Satine asked, laughing in disbelief.

"They're writing a play," Christian continued. "Called Spectacular Spectacular, and they switch writers at the last minute after their original writer quits. They need to get the owner of the Moulin Rouge, Harold Zidler-"

"Where oh where have I heard that name before?" Satine cut in.

"-to like the writer's work," Christian kept on talking as though he'd never heard her. "So they dress him up as a famous English writer and arrange a meeting with the star of the Moulin Rouge. The Sparkling Diamond. Mademoiselle Satine, the most beautiful courtesan in all of Paris...all of France...all the world!"

Satine laughed in delight.

"And the writer and the courtesan fall in love," Christian said, "But Satine is supposed to be in love with an evil Duke who's paying for the conversion of the Moulin Rouge from a dance hall into a theater. The Duke is Satine's key to achieving her dream of becoming an actress."

"Oooh, the plot thickens," Satine grinned.

"So now, my darling, I shall read you the first few pages," Christian paused dramatically, "Of my epic novel...The Moulin Rouge."

He lifted the piece of paper in his hands and began to read in a soft, haunting voice.

"The Moulin Rouge," he whispered, tone full of bittersweet sorrow. "A night club...a dance hall of the bordello, ruled over by Harold Zidler...a kingdom of nighttime pleasures, where the rich and powerful came to play with the young and beautiful creatures of the underworld."

He paused.

"The most beautiful of all these was the woman I loved...Satine. A courtesan. She sold her love to men. They called her the Sparkling Diamond, and she was the star of the Moulin Rouge."

Another pause filled the air, and Satine waited anxiously for him to read more.

"The woman...I loved...is...dead."

"What?!" Satine exclaimed. "You're killing me off?"

"What's a true love story without tragedy?" Christian responded deviously. "Now, do you want me to read more or not?"

"Read more," Satine commanded.

He lifted the paper once more and continued.

"I first came to Paris one...year...ago..."


	9. When Dreaming Ends

~ * ~ A * S T O R Y * A B O U T * L O V E ~ * ~

  
  


by She's a Star

  
  


A/N: Thanks a million and then some for all the reviews :) Things are gonna start following the movie a bit more closely from here on, which means the cheerful fluff can't last forever. *sniffles* Okey doke, read on, my darlings :)

  
  
  
  
  
  


Chapter Nine: When Dreaming Ends

  
  


"Do do do do do do do do do do do do," Satine sang merrily as Christian walked around and swung open her car door for her.

"I should never have let you watch that," Christian proclaimed as he offered his hand and she took it. "I've created a monster."

"Shut up," Satine commanded, "I'm siiiiiiinging in the rain!"

"It's sunny," Christian pointed out.

Satine stuck out her tongue. "Minor detail, my dearest."

"Ahh, I see," Christian said, kissing her hand softly. "Are you POSITIVE you must go?"

"Sadly, yes," Satine said. "I'm supposed to have brunch with Murdock."

"Dear God," Christian exclaimed. "Why do you see this guy so much? You're not...?"

Satine could see the jealousy flicker in his eyes. Faster than lightning and gone in an instant, yes, but that didn't change the fact that it had been there.

"Of course not, stupid," Satine said playfully, elbowing him lightly in the stomach. "Have you SEEN this guy before? He absolutely could not rival your good looks." 

"Could anyone?" Christian asked jokingly, running his hand through his hair Mr. Smooth style.

"Well, ONE person," Satine said.

"And who is this ONE PERSON?" Christian asked. "I might just have to go beat them up!"

"Colin Firth," Satine said promptly. 

"Colin Firth?" Christian repeated. "And who, may I ask, is that?"

"Have you seen Bridget Jones's Diary?" 

Christian nodded.

"Well, he's the one who plays Mark Darcy."

"Mark Darcy?!" Christian repeated, aghast. "You mean the ugly one?"

Satine gasped indignantly. "He is not UGLY!"

"He's HIDEOUS!"

"He's DASHING," Satine retorted. 

Christian rolled his eyes. "Please."

"Jealous, are we, Mr. Matthews?" Satine teased, pecking him on the cheek.

"Me?" Christian asked incredulously. "Jealous of THAT? I think NOT!"

"I think so-o," Satine sang out. 

"Never!" Christian proclaimed. 

"Fine, don't admit it," Satine giggled. "But I'm going to go now."

"Off with Colon?" Christian pouted.

"COLIN, idiot," Satine laughed. "And NO, unfortunately I don't know him."

"You will, once you're all rich and famous," Christian said with a smile.

"Ahh, I like you better anyway," Satine declared, kissing him again before waving and disappearing into the club. She was about to sing out a greeting to Harry when she heard a familiar, hideously nasal voice.

Murdock.

"Where is she, Zidler?" he hissed. "We were supposed to leave for breakfast fifteen minutes ago!"

"I'm not sure, Mr. Murdock," Harry responded. "Out with her boyfriend, I think. She disappeared last night-"

"Boyfriend?" Murdock cut off, his tone drenched in fury. Satine felt a shiver run down her spine.

Harry remained cheerfully oblivious. "Oh yes. I've never seen Satine so happy before...always laughing and giggling. It's a nice change; she's usually so melancholy."

"Surely you're kidding me, Zidler."

Surprise filled Harry's voice as he replied. "Why no, Mr. Murdock. Why?"

Murdock's voice was almost frighteningly calm. "Well...it's just that Satine and I have been seeing each other romantically for quite sometime now."

Satine immediately felt as though she'd been punched.

What?!

They'd never...he'd never shown any interest in her...well, a bit, yes, but EVERYONE did! He'd NEVER said that they were together...never given her any indication...it was supposed to be professional...purely professional....

"Is that so?" Harry asked, sounding panicked.

"Well, yes," Murdock's voice was beginning to sound frightening...almost insane, "And I was under the impression that Miss Satine only had affections for me." His voice shook as he spoke, and it grew louder with each word. "Of course, that was stupid of me, to think that a prostitute would quit going about her habits. After all, how do you teach a whore how to be faithful?!"

"Well," Harry said desperately, "Well, she's never actually SAID that she's in a relationship...perhaps they're just friends. Friends, yes, I'm sure-"

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH, ZIDLER!"

Murdock's shout rang throughout Satine's ears, and she shuddered.

When he spoke again, it was with forced calm, still ridden with nervousness. 

"I would appreciate it if you informed Miss Satine that if she values her part in the picture, she will end this other...relationship."

"Yes, of course Mr. Murdock," Harry said, sounding a bit dazed.

"Well, make sure you tell her to meet me for dinner tonight at eight tomorrow," Murdock said briskly, "Good day, then."

Satine ducked behind one of the doors as Murdock exited, and luckily, he didn't notice her.

"Oh, Harry," she said shakily as she emerged, "I-"

"Are you MAD?"

"What??" Satine asked immediately.

"I've seen you with that boy a lot lately."

"Oh, yes," Satine said nonchalantly, knowing he wouldn't buy her act for a second, "We're good friends-"

Harry's intense stare sent a shiver up and down her spine as he replied. "Murdock seems to think that you're engaging in a...romantic relationship."

Satine forced an airy laugh. "Oh, of COURSE not, Harry!" she said lightly. "That's absolutely untrue. We're just fri-"

"DON'T LIE TO ME!"

Satine gasped in shock as he yelled. Harry had never yelled at her before...not like this.

"I'VE SEEN HOW YOU'VE BEEN ACTING!" he continued furiously. "DO YOU THINK I'M A FOOL?"

"N...no..." Satine said shakily. "No, of course not...of course not, Harry...."

His expression softened, and he whispered, "Now, Satine...is a little case of puppy love worth giving up your career? Worth us losing L'amour Fou?"

Satine felt as though her heart was breaking inside her chest. There was no way he was asking her to do this...no way he was asking her to give up the only thing that had ever made her truly happy...

"I..." she said weakly, feeling as though she were about to faint, "I..."

"After all," Harry said, his tone demanding, "It's just an infatuation, isn't it, Satine? Isn't that all it is?"

Satine knew if she told Harry she loved Christian, only disaster could come of it. There was only one possible answer to this question.

"Yes, yes..." Satine agreed softly. "It's just an infatuation...it's nothing...it's nothing."

"Good," Harry said sternly. "That's what I thought. Go to the boy...tell him it's over. Now, Murdock is expecting you for dinner at eight tomorrow."

Satine didn't reply as Harry left the room and made his way upstairs. A single tear ran down her cheek as she began to sing softly.

"If I should die this very moment..." a sob threatened to escape her throat, and she took a steadying breath. "I wouldn't fear...for I've never known completeness like being here..."

She couldn't do it. She knew she couldn't. She couldn't just go to the one good thing in her life and tell them to leave. It was impossible. She loved him.

"Wrapped in the warmth of you," she continued, studying her tearstained face in the cracked mirror that hung on the wall. "Loving every breath of you..."

Sighing, she collapsed onto one of the stools and held her head in her hands.

"Why live life..." she sang softly, "From dream...to dream....and dread the day-"

"Chickpea," she heard Harry call from upstairs. "Why don't you go visit him right now?"

"Later," Satine called back, her voice wavering a bit. She couldn't do this. She couldn't.

But she had to.

"...when dreaming....ends."

  
  



	10. Come What May

~ * ~ A * S T O R Y * A B O U T * L O V E ~ * ~

  
  


A/N: Hugs to everyone! Thanks a zillion for all the loverly reviews. You guys are the best. 

  
  


Anyway, sorry for the short chapter, but that's just where I felt it was best to end...the next one will be longer, I promise!

  
  
  
  
  
  


Chapter 10: Come What May

  
  


Satine put off the fateful visit to Christian as long as humanely possible. She spent the whole of the day in a pair of sweats and a tanktop in front of the television, hugging a blanket around her shoulders and sniffling audibly as she watched her collection of Audrey Hepburn films. By eight o'clock, she'd watched Roman Holiday, Sabrina, Love in the Afternoon, Paris When It Sizzles and My Fair Lady, as well as consumed a pint of ice cream and an unhealthy amount of chocolate. She popped Breakfast at Tiffany's into the VCR, but realized about five minutes into it that she couldn't stand to watch it. Not when she'd watched it with Christian before. Not knowing what she had to do.

A strange sort of strangled sob escaped her throat, and she immediately bit her lip and closed her eyes to prevent the tears that she couldn't allow to take over her.

"Chickpea," Harry's voice rang out as he entered the living room, "Weren't you supposed to see Christian tonight?" 

He sounded so casual-jovial, almost. As though he had no idea that he was ripping her world apart, taking away everything that had ever made her happy and leaving her with tears and heartbreak. He probably didn't even care.

Satine felt anger well up inside of her as he went on into the kitchen, and as soon as he'd closed the door behind him, she slammed the box of tissues she'd been holding into it with all her might. 

She rose from the sofa, a soft whimper escaping her lips, and slowly made her way into the bathroom. Upon inspecting herself in the mirror, she realized that she could barely recognize her reflection at all. Over the past few weeks, her eyes had sported a permanent glow and her lips always seemed to be fixed in a smile. Now mascara had made its way down her cheeks, and her mouth was a bit bloody due to the many times she'd bitten her lip to keep tears from coming. With a dismal sigh, she undressed and stepped into the shower. 

Thirty minutes later she left the house dressed in a black miniskirt and blouse with her face covered in makeup. She'd applied as much as possible; ruby lipstick, foundation, rosy blush, and dark eyeshadow, so as to cover up the fact that she was positively devastated. However, she wasn't sure that any amount of make-up could achieve that seemingly impossible feat.

The trip to Christian's house took a horrible forever and yet seemed painstakingly short at the same time, and Satine had to blink back tears as she got out of the car and made her way slowly up to the door. Did she really have to do this? Did she really have to cause the one person that had ever made her truly happy so much pain? She could just turn around now, and he would never even know she'd been there...

However, as though she were possessed by someone else, Satine rapped her fist lightly on the door, then swung open the door. The lights were all on, but Christian was nowhere in sight.

"Christian?" she called tentatively.

Okay, maybe he's not here, Satine thought quickly to herself. Now I'll just leave-

Her thoughts were cut off at once when the sound of his voice filled her ears, singing softly.

"Never knew I could feel like this...like I've never seen the sky before."

Satine immediately felt an overwhelming mixture of sweet bliss and terrible sadness overcome her as his voice seemed to captivate her soul. 

"Want to vanish inside your kiss," he continued. "Everyday I love you more and more."

The sweet simplicity of the words left realization washing over Satine-Christian had written the song himself. No other lyrics were quite as soft and full of meaning. 

He'd composed a song for her. He'd composed a song for her, and now she was breaking his heart in return.

A pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist from behind, and his breath tickled her ear as he softly continued.

"Listen to my heart...can you hear it sing, telling me to give you everything?"

He took one of her hands in his own, and Satine closed her eyes to prevent the tears that had filled her eyes from running down her cheeks. 

"Seasons may change," he sang softly. "Winter to spring...but I love you until the end of time."

Until the end of time.

Here he was, promising her forever when she had come to end their relationship. Well, there was no way. She couldn't do this. She wouldn't do this. They would be together forever-for Christian if not for her. Satine didn't need the movie, she didn't need to be famous...she only needed Christian. 

"Come what may," Christian's voice rang throughout the room, filled with promises of a blissful future. "Come what may..."

Satine felt something brush against her ring finger, and she opened her eyes and looked down to see Christian's hand sliding on a gold-and-ruby ring. 

She inhaled in shock, staring down, transfixed, at it. He was...he was actually...

"I will love you," he finished, spinning her around so that she faced him and enveloping her in a hug, "Until my dying day."

The tears that Satine had fought so hard to keep from falling began to stream down her cheeks as she smiled like a giddy little girl at him.

"Satine," he whispered softly, "Will you marry me?"

Even before he asked her, Satine knew her answer. The only possible answer. Every single obstacle stepped aside in her mind, ensuring the most blissful happiness that anyone could ever know.

"Yes."

  
  



	11. Embraceable You

~ * ~ A * S T O R Y * A B O U T * L O V E ~ * ~

  
  


A/N: Thanks a million for all the reviews you guys! *hugs* They make my day so much brighter. :) I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's quite fluffy, and I loved writing it. :)

  
  


Disclaimer: Embraceable You and Naughty Baby both belong to George and Ira Gershwin.

  
  
  
  


Chapter 11: Embraceable You

  
  


The next few weeks were the most blissful of Satine's life. She'd never imagined herself planning a wedding, but now that was she and Christian's main topic of conversation. Picking out future childrens' names was particularly laughter-inducing.

"How about Kylie?" Satine suggested one evening as she and Christian prepared their gourmet meal for the evening, the infamous American delicacy often referred to as Maccaroni and Cheese.

"Kylie?" Christian snorted.

"What's wrong with Kylie?" Satine asked defensively as she stirred the noodles.

"Isn't that the name of some Australian diva?" Christian asked laughingly. "Kylie Min-ee-ogre...Mon...Min...Min-auge? Min-age? Mi-"

"Minogue, stupid," Satine giggled, hip-bumping him playfully. "Say it with me now. Minnnn-oooo-gue."

"Min-eee-gee."

"You're hopeless," Satine declared, pecking him on the cheek.

"Why thank you, my darling," Christian rolled his eyes. "That's oh-so delightfully sweet of you."

"As is every word that escapes my perfect mouth."

"Your modesty is astounding."

"I know. It's one of my many impressive and admirable qualities."

Christian grinned and wrapped his arms around his waist. "I've just got myself an irresistible one here."

"Irresistible, irreplaceable, embraceable," Satine smiled lazily. "I'm everything you want and more."

"As am I," Christian said in mock haughtiness.

"Oh yes," Satine grinned, then pulled the orange-stained spatula from the pot and began to sing into it. 

"Embrace me, my sweet embraceable you," she belted out Broadway-style. "Embrace me, you irreplaceable you!"

"Someone knows her Gershwin," Christian noted.

"Shut up, idiot," Satine commanded sternly. "I'm trying to sing to you."

"My mistake," Christian said.

Satine made a show of clearing her throat, then continued.

"Just one look at you," she sang, gesturing in his direction with the spatula and causing a bit of cheesy goo to flick in his direction, "My heart grew tipsy in me!"

She tossed the spatula aside and pointed at him over-exaggeratedly.

"You and you alone bring out the Gypsy in me!"

"I feel so special," Christian proclaimed as Satine wrapped her arms around him and swayed slowly back and forth.

"I love the many charms about you," she sang with a smile, "Above all, I want my arms about you."

"Don't we all?" Christian asked wriggling his eyebrows. "'Cause you know, I'm just beating the girls off with a stick."

"Don't be a naughty baby," Satine wiggled a scolding finger in front of his face. "Come to mama, come to mama do...my sweet embraceable you."

"How can I resist?" Christian asked. "I mean, God forbid I be a naughty baby."

"Don't even get me started on that one," Satine grinned devilishly.

"You've seen Crazy For You?" Christian asked.

"I've got the soundtrack," Satine responded.

"I saw it LIVE," Christian informed her impressively. "On BROADWAY. Beat THAT."

Broadway? 

Satine had never considered the possibility that Christian's family was wealthy, but if they were...all her problems would be solved. She wouldn't have to do the movie with awful Murdock anymore, and could settle down with Christian.

But then again, Mrs. Matthews hadn't seemed to like her very much.

Satine covered up her troubled thoughts quickly by replying haughtily, "Ugh. I can perform that song better than some lousy Broadway actress any day!"

"Go right ahead," Christian said, grinning. "I mean, it's not like I would ENJOY watching you perform the most suggestive number in the show, but...if you're sure you can do it."

"Well," Satine sighed, "I suppose I could JUST to torture you...shall I drag through the whole 'sentimental girl' part or just get straight to the 'naughty baby's?"

"Naughty baby," Christian answered abruptly, then added, "Only if you want to, of course."

"But of course."

And with that, she pulled the elastic band from her hair with flourish and tossed it aside, warping into Sparkling Diamond Satine at once.

"Naughty baby, naughty baby who will tease you," she purred, shoving him down into one of the kitchen chairs. "I can show the way and know the way to please you."

Sinking into his lap, she slung her arms around his shoulders and proclaimed, "If you're wanting a beginner, I shan't do. I can make a saint a sinner when I want to!"

With a flip of her hair and a coquettish wink, she continued. "If you find the simple kind are rather slow dear...then you ought to try a naughty one you know dear."

Raising from the chair, she belted out her conclusion to her overly awestruck fiancee.

"But you'll never meet another who will be a naughty baby, naughty baby!"

"Naughty baby, naughty baby," Christian repeated dumbly.

Satine held back a giggle and breathed, "Just...like...me."

"I didn't enjoy that at all," Christian informed her after a pause.

"Sure," Satine rolled her eyes. "You ARE aware that you were drooling, correct?"

"No way!"

"You were too-"

However, Christian's defense (Satine doubted it would be any good, anyway) was cut off by the high-pitched wail of the smoke detector.

"Nooo!" Christian shouted, slow-motion action hero style, "Not the mac 'n cheese!"

Satine smiled as she watched him desperately attempt to stop the steady wave of smoke coming from the stove.

Well, one thing was for sure.

Christian was NOT preparing food that was going to go into her childrens' mouths.

  
  


~*~

  
  


She was deceiving him...

She was deceiving him...

This other man was causing her affections to wane, twisting her mind and emotions and forcing her to believe that she loved him.

She couldn't love him.

No.

She was HIS diamond.

HIS!

No one else could touch her like that...no one else could feel that soft, smooth skin...kiss those blood red lips.

Blood red.

Shaking with rage, Murdock stared in insane fury through the window at the pair of young lovers dancing around the kitchen of the falling apart duplex.

This other man would pay.

She would be HIS. 

His diamond.

  
  


~*~

  
  


"ZIDLER!"

Harry jumped with a start from the bar stool where he sat, watching his girls mingle with the customers for the night.

"Mr. Murdock," he said nervously, trying not to let his discomfort show. Whenever he was around the director, he got the strangest sensation in his skin...a terrifying sense of foreboding.

"I thought you told me that Satine would be ending this...FLING!"

"She did," Harry said in confusion. "I watched her leave to tell him."

"Well, obviously she didn't, Zidler," Murdock spat. "Because I followed her to her destination this evening, and she was dancing around the kitchen with that damned boy!"

"Mr. Murdock, I assure you-"

"Silence!" Murdock instructed, causing a few people to look over at him curiously before returning to their dancing.

In a low hiss, he proclaimed, "Now you end this relationship, and end it now, Zidler, or Satine won't be making any pictures anytime soon. I think she'll be far too busy crying over the tragic death of her lost love."

Ice seemed to surge through Harry's veins replacing his blood, and he shuddered visibly before stuttering back, "S...surely you don't mean you would-"

"Oh, I assure you I would, Zidler," Murdock said coldly. "And I will...unless she comes to me."


	12. The Parental Units

~ * ~ A * S T O R Y * A B O U T * L O V E ~ * ~

A/N: Thank you sooo much for all the reviews! You get a longer chapter this time...7 whole pages! Oooh. :) I've been writing for a few hours now. Bored, Miss Starita is. Hope you enjoy this chapter...there's only gonna be a few more after this, I think.

Dedication: To Mademoiselle Gedia, seeing as she claimed she'd die if I didn't write more soon during our little whining fest earlier.

~*~

Chapter 12: The Parental Units

"Harry and Marie probably think I'm dead or something," Satine proclaimed as she leaned her head on Christian's shoulder and stared lazily at the infomercial on TV, which sported a rather large man proclaiming that Just For Men had forever improved his life.

"Are you implying that you must..." Christian paused dramatically, "Leave?!"

"Alas, yes, my darling," Satine said, staring up at him without lifting her head from his shoulder. "Or I should at least call them. It's already ten thirty AM...I've been gone all night. They're probably a little worried."

"Worried?" Christian scoffed. "About YOU?"

"Gee, thanks," Satine rolled her eyes. "I'm so thrilled to know that I and I alone possess your everlasting love and affection."

"Yup," Christian said with a grin. "You're my one and only. As is Joan Rivers."

Satine let out an over-exaggerated gasp. "I thought you'd forgotten about her!"

"I tried," Christian said guiltily, "But I just...couldn't! She's too enchanting, in all her blonde-and-plastic glory!"

"I may as well run off to Colin Firth right now!" Satine declared, standing up and backing away from him on the couch. "Right after I HIT YOU WITH A CHAIR!"

"Now, now," Christian said in mock nervousness, "Don't go Jerry Springer on me..."

"...Or I might just have to pull all your fingernails off, one by one," Satine said with a lazy, devious grin spreading across her face. "And force you to eat them."

Christian's face contorted into an expression of utmost disgust.

"Ew," he commented intelligently. "Do you spend your spare time thinking up insane punishments like that?"

"When the occasion calls for it," Satine responded, standing up and stretching her arms over her head. "Now, I really should go-"

"CHRISTIAN MATTHEWS!" 

The sudden burst of noise sent Satine skyrocketing about eight feet into the air in shock.

"My mom's going to kill me," Christian muttered under his breath. "Kill me, kill me dead, kill-"

However, the figure that walked into the living room definitely wasn't Mrs. Matthews--instead, it was a dark-haired girl that looked around seventeen, eyes heavily lined in kohl and a cigarette in between two long fingers.

"Norah," Christian sighed in relief.

"Hey, Christie," Norah greeted him with a grin, taking a lazy drag from her cigarette. "I heard someone's gettin' married."

"From who?" Christian asked anxiously. "And don't smoke in the house."

"Travis," Norah responded, but didn't acknowledge her brother's order. "Why haven't you told Mom and Dad yet?"

"I'll get around to it," Christian said crossly, then seemed to remember that Satine was there. "Oh...Nor, this is my fiancee, Satine. Satine, this is my little sister, Norah."

"Nice to meet you," Satine said, smiling.

Norah, on the other hand, kept her brown lipstick-covered mouth fixed in a pout as she studied Satine critically.

"Are you the hooker one?" she finally asked, jutting a hip to one side and placing her hand on it.

"Norah!" Christian snapped angrily. 

"That would be me," Satine drawled.

"Forgive her," Christian turned to face Satine. "She's the rebellious one in the family."

"Shut up, suck-up," Norah said playfully.

"Punk," Christian shot back, the corners of his lips turning up slightly. 

"Why the hell are you marrying him?" Norah questioned Satine teasingly. "He alphabetically organizes his socks."

Satine wrinkled her brow in confusion. "Is that possible?"

"Believe me," Norah nodded grimly, "Even if it wasn't before, Christian has made it so. He's one sad and sorry excuse for a human being-"

"Norah!" Christian snapped. "Wonderful as it is, listening to you insult me mercilessly, could you tell me why, exactly, you're here?"

"I've come to warn you," Norah said dramatically, taking another drag from her cigarette. "The parental units are coming. They left the house about fifteen minutes after I did, I think."

Christian groaned miserably. "Great. Just great. Why are they coming in the first place?"

"Well," Norah perched on one arm of the couch. "Mumsy dearest wants to check on her darling baby boy, and Dad wants to see, and I quote, 'what kind of dump that starry-eyed idiot is living in'."

"Great," Christian deadpanned. "How I adore our family reunions."

"You couldn't possibly as much as I do," Norah drawled unenthusiastically in return.

"Well, I think _I_ am entitled to looking forward to it the most," Satine said in over-exaggerated sincerity. "After all, your mother doesn't _faint_ when she sees either of you. I, and I alone, possess that power over the mothers of my love interests."

"So you made ol' Mummy Firth pass out too?" Christian teased. 

"Your jealousy will drive you mad one of these days," Satine predicted in a misty voice. Norah stared at the two of them as though they'd both escaped from the insane asylum.

"You guys are definitely suited for each other," she announced, flicking a few ashes from her cigarette onto the carpet. Christian opened his mouth to lecture her, but before he could begin to speak, he was cut off by a high, shrill (and not to mention authentic) cry.

"Christian, darling!"

Rolling his eyes, Christian put on a huge false smile and paraded out of the room. "Mom!"

"She's going to hate me," Satine muttered nervously. "Scratch that, she ALREADY hates me!"

"You'll probably give her a heart attack if she sees you here again," Norah informed her with the air of one remarking on the weather. "Last time she was fuming about it for days."

"So what do I DO?!" Satine whined helplessly.

"Lie," Norah said simply, then tossed the cigarette to the carpet and crushed it with her heel. Keeping her foot firmly placed over it, she put on an angelic smile. "Hi, Mom!"

"Hello, darling!" Mrs. Matthews replied, enveloping her daughter in a hug. However, the affection died about a millisecond later. 

"You smell like smoke," she announced suspiciously.

"Travis just left a few seconds ago," Norah responded easily, sounding so convincing that Satine almost believed it herself. "He insisted on giving me a hug...you know how he is. And the poor thing was smoking, right in the house! I wish he'd break that awful habit."

Mrs. Matthews shook her head disapprovingly. "I really do wish he and Christian weren't together so much. He can be such a negative influence! I just..."

The words died on her tongue as soon as her eyes fell upon Satine.

"You."

The single word caused a shudder to run down Satine's spine, but she forced herself to ignore it.

"Hello, Mrs. Matthews," she said sweetly. "It's wonderful to see you again!"

"You stay away from my Christian!" Mrs. Matthews shrieked. "You'll both burn in hell because of this! I just-"

"Oh, Mrs. Matthews," Satine exclaimed, "That was the hugest misunderstanding! I haven't been able to sleep full nights about it...I felt horrible!"

"Oh really?" Mrs. Matthews asked quizzically.

"Yes," Satine nodded, widening her eyes slightly. "It's a bit of a joke between Travis and I...you see, we met at a party one of my friends threw, and it was a costume one where you dressed as characters from movies. I was dressed as Julia Roberts from Pretty Woman, and then Christian and I met a few days later."

"And you were wearing no pants and my son's shirt because...?"

"Oh, I'm such a klutz," Satine laughed with a dismissive wave of her hand. "About ten minutes before you came, I spilled an ENTIRE pitcher of orange juice all over myself."

"But you were obviously in the middle of _seducing_ my poor boy-"

"Mrs. Matthews, your son and I love each other very much," Satine said earnestly. "And I assure you, there's nothing that's happened between us that you wouldn't approve of."

A slow smile crept out across Christian's mother's lips. 

"Well, in that case, my dear, I'm sorry that I ever accused you," Mrs. Matthews said kindly. "I feel so embarrassed now...I really should have learned after so many years not to take Travis seriously."

"It's all right," Satine smiled. "I would have reacted exactly the same way if it had been myself."

_Though I probably wouldn't have fainted_, she added silently. 

"Come and meet Christian's father, dear!" Mrs. Matthews put a friendly hand on Satine's arm. "I'm sure he'll adore you!"

"He doesn't adore anyone," Norah whispered from behind them. 

Mrs. Matthews didn't seem to notice as she led Satine into the kitchen, where Christian and Mr. Matthews were sitting opposite each other.

"You were a fool to leave us, Christian!" Mr. Matthews declared angrily. "Look at this dump...look how you're living!"

"But I'm _writing_!" Christian protested in frustration. "I'm actually writing, Dad!"

"About what?" Mr. Matthews snapped in annoyance.

"About love!"

"Always this ridiculous obsession with love," Mr. Matthews sneered. "When will you realize that it isn't all you've built it up to be? Christian-"

"Edward," Mrs. Matthews cut in quietly. 

Sighing in exasperation, he turned his head to study his wife.

"This is Satine Zidler," she said. "Christian's girlfriend."

Mr. Matthews stared at her intensely, as though judging her.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Matthews," Satine said politely.

Mr. Matthews didn't respond. "You put up with my son and his ridiculous ideas about love overcoming all obstacles?"

Satine nodded, struggling not to let her nervousness show. "When you love someone the way I love him, it's hard not to."

Christian's father stared at her quizzically for a moment before asking wryly, "You'll keep him in line, won't you? Make sure he's writing? Not blowing his money on frivolous purchases?"

"Of course," Satine smiled.

"Well then," a slow smile somehow found its way onto the older man's face. "I think you could be good for my boy."

~*~

"Your name is so lovely, Satine," Mrs. Matthews commented a few hours later. The Matthewses had wanted to go on a family picnic to a rather secluded beach, and Christian's mother had insisted that she come along. "And very unique. Where did you get it?"

"Well," Satine responded, squeezing her hand more tightly around Christian's and digging her bare toes into the sand, "My mother was, for a reason I can't even begin to fathom, dead set on naming her daughter after a fabric. The second she found out she was having a girl, she considered every single one. First it was Denim, then Lace...then she ventured into more unique ones. Velvet, Silk...and then finally she decided on Satin."

A fond smile danced across Satine's lips as the memories flowed back to her. So many times when she was little, her mother had wrapped her arms around her and rocked her slowly back and forth, reciting the story. 

"But then," Satine continued, "When I was born, my mother took one look at me and said that I didn't deserve just plain 'Satin'. It was too plain...didn't do my beauty justice, is what my mother said. And so she added an E onto the end, and voila."

Mrs. Matthews laughed. "That's darling. If only we'd been more inventive with Chris and Norah's names."

"We're going through a tough time, trying to choose names for ours," Satine responded brightly. 

"Yours?" Mrs. Matthews questioned, looking extremely frightened.

"Oh, in the future, of course," Satine said. The woman's features relaxed slightly.

"So you're really planning marriage?"

"Well, actually," Christian cut in, "We are getting married...I proposed a few weeks ago."

"Oh!" Mrs. Matthews exclaimed in delight, throwing her arms first around Christian and then Satine. "How marvelous! A wedding! Do you know when it's going to be? Have you chosen a church? I-"

"Mom, calm down," Christian said laughingly. "The only thing we've even considered right now is baby names."

"I like Kylie," Satine piped up.

"Ohh, that's adorable!" Mrs. Matthews cried happily. 

"It's weird," Christian objected, sticking out his tongue.

"I like it," Norah threw in. "Now you're outvoted...three to one."

"Fine," Christian pouted. "But when our poor little girl gets beat up on the playground all because of her stupid name, no one's allowed to blame me!"

"She won't get beat up!" Satine cried indignantly. "She's related to _moi_!"

"Precisely."

"You're so mean," Satine announced. "I'm just not even going to talk to you anymore. Come on, Norah!"

"Anything to get away from my dreaded brother," Norah responded dramatically. 

Christian shook a fist over-exaggeratedly at Satine, and she gasped in mock fear and ran, horrified, down the beach. With the wind whipping in her hair and the rough texture of the sand beneath her feet, she felt something that she never truly had before.

Free.

~*~

"She's lovely, Christian dear," Mrs. Matthews announced as she, along with her son and husband, watched Satine and Norah wade tentatively into the water, rolling up their pants farther every few steps. "You're truly kindred spirits."

"She's a nice girl," Mr. Matthews agreed gruffly. 

"There's something...enchanting about her," Mrs. Matthews murmured. "Something bittersweet, as though she's been hurt a lot before, and yet she still refuses to give up the prospect of happiness. And yet there's something mysterious about her...what's she like?"

Christian sighed. 

"She's like a first kiss...sweet and perfect and overwhelming all at once. Every moment with her is blissful...she loves Gershwin and roses. She's always singing, and something glows about her...like she's always onstage. She has this sort of constant grace...she's perfect."

Mr. Matthews shook his head knowingly.

"You're lost to her now, boy."

Christian smiled as he watched the sun cause Satine's hair to shimmer as it whipped around her face.

"I know."

~*~

Contentment was the most blissful sensation, or at least the most blissful that Satine had ever experienced. A strange sense of giddiness filled her as she drove slowly towards L'amour Fou, the song playing on the radio barely registering in her mind. She and Christian were getting married, and his parents approved. His family was full of wonderful people, and they all liked her. 

Could life be more perfect?

The horribly over-played Linkin Park song ended, and the familiar piano introduction to Your Song filled Satine's ears. 

A strange sense of overwhelming happiness took over her, and tears filled her eyes. 

_Satine, _she informed herself mentally, _You're turning into a sentimental sap._

Grinning widely, she sang softly along with the radio.

"It's a little bit funny...this feeling inside."

The people in the convertible next to her studied her curiously, but Satine only raised the volume of her voice in response.

"I'm not one of those who can easily hide! I don't have much money, but boy if I did...I'd buy a big house where we both could live!"

The memories of she and Christian's first meeting flooded through her mind. If she had only known how perfect he would make her life...

"If I was a sculptor, but then again no," Satine pressed down on the gas petal as the light turned green. "Or a man who made potions at a traveling show...I know it's not much, but it's the best I can do! My gift is my song and this one's for you!"

She laughed briefly at her own insanity before belting out at the top of her lungs,

"And you can tell everybody this is your song! It may be quite simple...now that it's done. I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind that I put down in words...how wonderful life is while you're in the world."

Satine was still humming Your Song to herself as she pulled into the L'amour Fou parking lot and turned off the car. Wrapping her arms around her shoulders, she swayed a bit to her own singing before giggling madly and positively skipping towards the club. 

"Where have you been?" Harry snapped as soon as she entered.

"With Christian."

The words were out of Satine's mouth before she could do anything to stop herself.

Harry's brow furrowed in a mixture of anger and confusion.

"I love him, Harry," she said simply. "I love him and he loves me. We're getting married."

"What?" Harry asked incredulously.

"You can't hold me back anymore, Harry," Satine said forcefully. No way would she let him break off her relationship with Christian. "You've kept me from flying long enough. I don't care about the movie, I don't even want to be an actress anymore. I just want to have a family, and I will. I'm sorry about the club, Harry, I really am...but I just can't give Christian up. I love him."

Harry's expression was one Satine couldn't even begin to read, and with a start she realized that his eyes were shining with tears.

"What is it, Harry?" she asked testily, sensing that something was wrong at once.

A heavy sigh escaped his lips.

"Satine," he murmured. "Oh, Satine..."

"What is it?!" Satine repeated, louder this time.

"Murdock is going to kill Christian."


	13. Goodbye For a Little While

~ * ~ A * S T O R Y * A B O U T * L O V E ~ * ~

A/N: I truly am pitiful...I was practically crying just WRITING this. *shakes head in self disgust* Alas, things are no longer so light and fluffy.....enjoy.

Chapter 13: Goodbye For a Little While 

"You're lying."

Satine's voice was barely a faint, raspy whisper, and yet a fire burned passionately within the words. 

It couldn't be true...it just couldn't...

"No, chickpea," Harry responded sadly, taking a step towards her and reaching out a hand. Satine immediately backed away, knowing that she would shudder at his touch. She couldn't feel the slightest bit of compassion towards him-not after he'd just made a declaration that would tear apart her life.

"You're _lying_!" Satine repeated forcefully, hot tears stinging her eyes and blurring her vision of Harry's grieving face.

He opened his mouth to protest, but Satine cut him off.

"You're lying, you're lying, YOU'RE LYING!" she shrieked in insane desperation, clearing the half-filled glasses of beer from the bar with one swipe of her arm. The sound of shattering glass vaguely registered in the back of her mind, but she continued ranting senselessly. It was as though every ounce of reason had been drained from her after she'd heard those six words.

"You're making it up, you're evil!" 

Her screams rang through her own ears, sending a shudder down her spine. 

"Kitten-" Harry made another attempt to move toward her, but Satine let out a shriek of fury and pushed him away.

"You just want me to be miserable!" she pointed an accusing finger at her, shaking with fury. "You want to ruin my life! You want to tie me down and make me into trash, just because you can't bear to realize that I'm better than this hellhole! Just because you're trapped, you're trying to stop me from flying!" 

"Strawberry, I'd _never_-"

"Yes you would!" Satine yelled after a pause of a few uneven breaths. "Just because your existence has been so fucking pointless, you're trying to ruin mine! I won't let you, I won't let you! Stop making up so many fucking lies! They're not true!" 

"Cherub-"

"They're not true!" Satine repeated, tears streaming down her face as she sunk down onto a stool. "They're not true..."

"I wish they weren't true," Harry's voice was soft and calming. "Sparrow, you know I wish they weren't...but...Murdock's obsessed with you, Satine. He's been driven mad by jealousy."

"But...but he can't kill him," Satine protested, sniffling as she allowed her stepfather to put one soothing arm around her shoulders. "How could he kill him? He doesn't know where he lives, he-"

"He follows you, Satine," Harry said grimly. 

"What?!" Satine asked in shock. "But...we're just working together! This is insane, he can't...he can't..."

The words describing Christian's fate refused to leave Satine's mouth, and instead she rested her head on Harry's shoulder and allowed tears to stream down pale cheeks. 

"Hurt him," Harry murmured softly. "Hurt him to save him, darling."

"But...I can't!" Satine's voice was soft and naive as a child's. "How?"

"Tell him you don't love him," Harry instructed gently. "Just make the movie with Murdock, and then you'll be able to leave him. He'll lose interest in you after a while, and then you and Christian will be reunited."

"I can't lie to him!" Satine whispered in protest. "He'll be able to tell, Harry...he knows me better than anyone..."

"You're a great actress, Satine," Harry said. "Make him believe you don't love him."

"I can't do it," Satine declared despondently. "I can't say goodbye!"

As soon as the word escaped her lips, she dissolved into a round of hacking sobs. Harry rocked her back and forth slowly.

"Shhh...shhh," he murmured softly. "Darling...chickpea...dry your eyes. It's only goodbye for a little while."

~*~

"You're frighteningly happy, my friend," N.A. declared as he sipped his third beer that evening and studied Christian in amusement.

"You'd be, too," Christian assured him. "My father actually liked her! He liked Satine! He doesn't like _anyone_!"

"See?" N.A. said with a grin. "I knew that good things would come from Travis and I dragging you to L'amour Fou."

"You should never doubt our greatness, buddy," Travis threw in.

"Well, I wouldn't go that far," Christian responded, flipping absently through the few channels he actually received. 

"Oh, I would," grinned Travis. "Now-"

He was cut off by a soft knock on the door. Groaning, Christian rose from the sofa, which emitted a horrible squeak, and swung open the door. Satine stood at it, looking strangely withdrawn. Her brilliant curls were pulled up into an elegant twist on the top of her head, and she wore a plain gray dress quite different from her usual colorful style.

"Hello," she murmured airily.

"Oooh, if it ain't the bride-to-be herself!" Travis exclaimed. "Hey Satine, how are ya?"

"Fine, thank you," her tone was stern and not the least bit like her. "Christian, can I talk to you outside?"

"Sure," Christian said, confused. He followed her out and shut the door behind him with a quiet click. 

"What's wrong?" he immediately questioned her.

Satine remained silent, studying him with an expression Christian couldn't even begin to read for a moment.

"We can't be together," she finally responded.

"What?" Christian asked numbly, feeling as though he'd been slapped. "Why not?"

"I need to fly," she said simply, not the least bit of emotion in her voice or features. "Murdock says I'm good. He says I could be the next Marilyn Monroe...the next Audrey Hepburn."

"Of course you could," said Christian weakly. "But why-"

"I don't need a husband with the least bit of culture holding me down," Satine said in a matter-of-fact tone. "You're so naive, Christian."

"What are you talking about?!" he demanded desperately. "What are you saying??"

Satine laughed, the sound seeming strange and foreign. "You're so young, so childish...I'm different."

Christian heard the words escape her lips, lingering in the chilly air, but he couldn't begin to believe her. This wasn't her...this strange, unfeeling being wasn't his Satine. She was an impostor, a fake. 

His Satine would never do this to him.

"But..." he said softly, desperately, "I love you."

For a flickering moment, a split-second, the real Satine returned. Her blue eyes lit up the way they only did when she looked at him. But the instant was over far too soon, and they turned cold once more.

Perhaps he'd imagined it.

"Love is just a game," she retorted, lips fixed in a cruel smirk.

"Satine, what are you saying?" he asked weakly, tears filling up his blue-gray eyes. "We love each other."

"We're nothing," Satine said flatly.

Immediately, the bittersweet, beautiful moments they'd shared flashed before Christian's eyes. Their first meeting and her foolish attempt to seduce him, his persuading her to love him in a Wal*Mart parking lot, dancing out in the rain...every smile that had brightened his life, every kiss that had sealed his belief in love overcoming everything.

His voice nothing more than a childish whisper, he responded weakly, "We're us."

Satine studied him blankly for a moment, shaking her head and causing her soft curls to brush against pale skin. Finally, she bit her lip unsurely and slid her ring slowly off her finger.

With a clatter that seemed to shake his world and tear his happiness to shreds, the small golden piece of jewelry fell to the cement. 

Through blurry vision, Christian numbly watched Satine turn and make her way through the yard and down the street. A strangled sob escaped his throat, and he fell into a heap on the ground.

With a low rumble, the sky erupted into a violent storm.

~*~

The rain had thoroughly soaked Satine as she walked down the sidewalk, tears streaming down her cheeks and combining with the silver droplets that fell from the cruel gray sky. 

_Cold,_ she thought numbly. _So cold..._

But it wasn't the rain that had chilled her soul.

_'But...I love you!'_

'We're us.'

'But...I love you!'

'Satine, what are you saying??'

Satine's whole body shook violently as a sob escaped her throat, and she wrapped her arms around her shoulders. Christian...

"God, why?" she whispered softly to herself, not even flinching as a car sped past and soaked her even further. "Why do you give two people the most beautiful thing in the world and then savagely rip it away? Why Christian?"

Satine knew she deserved the pain, the eternal torment, the bitter sensation of every last bit of happiness she'd ever experienced dancing mockingly through her memory. After all, she'd lived her life in sin...she'd sold herself, just for money. She'd been stupid and naive, never stopping and bothering to consider that there were things more important than money.

But Christian....

Christian was sweet and pure and good. A little boy in a grown man's body. Easily pleased...all he wanted, all he'd ever wanted, was to fall in love. 

"Why was it me, God?" Satine asked, her voice shaking. "Why didn't you give him a nice girl from a good family? Why did you give someone so good a worthless whore?"

But he would be fine....now he could forget about her and find another woman, and fall in love and live happily ever after.

Satine hated the jealous twinge that she felt when picturing it. After all, he deserved it. She didn't.

For Satine, happily ever after wasn't a possibility. 


	14. Why Does My Heart Cry?

~ * ~ A * S T O R Y * A B O U T * L O V E ~ * ~

A/N: Thanks for the reviews. I love you all. There'll probably be one or two more chapters after this one....*sniffles* I'll be sad to see this one go. I love this story. It's never a pain to write, unlike some OTHER stories. *glares at Meet the Parents*

Dedication: To everyone who's ever reviewed, 'cause you guys brighten my day. :)

~ * ~

Chapter 14: Why Does My Heart Cry?

Christian could have sat outside for minutes, hours, days....anything and everything seemed to blend together in a haze of heartless gray before his eyes. Tears streamed down his cheeks, mingling with the rain, but he paid them no mind.

Numbly, he fingered Satine's engagement ring gently. Even the brilliantly sparkling ruby seemed to lose its shimmer in the dismal rain.

"Storm clouds may gather," he sang out, his voice nothing more than a raspy whisper. "And stars...may collide...but I...I...love you..."

Love.

What was love, anyhow? A cruel game designed to destroy rip apart the very seams of fantasy worlds built by naive fools like himself. 

"Christian??"

He turned slowly and studied Travis, who had just opened the door and was staring at him in concern. 

"Chris, what's wrong?"

Christian couldn't bring himself to respond...saying it would make it too official, too real. So instead, he just stared blankly up at his best friend.

"Oh God," Travis said after a moment of silence. "She left you, didn't she?"

A weak nod on Christian's behalf caused Travis's face to be drained of color.

"Come inside buddy," he instructed quietly, helping Christian up and leading him inside the house. N.A.'s deep laugh and Nini's witchlike cackle immediately filled his ears, but didn't register in his mind. However, their merry conversation was cut short when they saw Christian.

"What happened?" N.A. asked immediately. 

"Satine broke things off with Christian," Travis said shortly, in a manner that clearly instructed not to ask any more about it. Christian allowed himself to be led into the kitchen, and as soon as the door was shut, Travis began to speak.

"She loves you, Christian. I know she loves you."

"Stop it, Travis."

Christian's voice was barely a whisper, and yet was almost frighteningly firm. Still, Travis continued talking.

"No," he said sternly. "There must be a reason. She wouldn't just leave you like that...not when you're in love."

"It was never love," Christian said bitterly. "It was only an illusion. After all, that's what she does...sells illusions."

"That wasn't an illusion," Travis said. "That was real...Christian, I've never seen two people in love before. My parents split up before I could walk, and I've sure as hell never had a serious relationship. But you two...Christian, just being around you lights up the world. She loves you. There must be a reason that she's pushing you away-"

"Stop it, Travis."

"Go after her, Christian," Travis ordered softly. "You can't just let her out of your life, easy as that. Love isn't always a bed of roses, Christian-you have to fight for it. After all, what's worth keeping if there's no fight to keep it?"

Christian wanted nothing more than to ignore Travis's words and allow himself to drown in a sea of misery, but there was something that was stopping him. Now that his best friend had suggested going after Satine, he knew that he could do nothing else.

"Fine," he muttered. "I'll go."

"You'll get her back, Christian," Travis said. "She loves you."

As Christian grabbed his car keys, he tried not to appear as though he was truly hoping with all his might that Travis's words were true.

~*~

"This is a truly marvelous home you have, Mr. Murdock," Satine breathed as she studied the elegantly furnished Gothic-themed living room of Murdock's mansion. A shudder ran up and down her spine as he draped an arm around her shoulders, but she didn't bother pulling away.

She was his now.

Tears threatened to well up in her eyes once more, but she blinked them back and forced herself into the role that she'd created for that evening: the breathy, seductive aspiring actress who would do whatever possible to satisfy her new director.

And keep him from harming the love of her life.

"Thank you my dear," Murdock responded in a nasal whisper. "And you can call me Mark."

"Mark," Satine echoed seductively, wanting nothing more than for the floor to open up under her and swallow her whole.

"I've had my bodyguards and maids released for the evening," Murdock announced softly, caressing her neck with his lips. "So we're totally alone."

"Mmm," Satine forced herself to fix her lips into a coquettish smile. "Sounds nice."

"I'll go to the kitchen," Murdock removed his arms from around her waist, much to her relief. "Get us some champagne."

"Hurry back," Satine purred, silently wishing that he'd never return. 

As soon as he'd left the room, she collapsed onto the sofa and let out a devastated sigh. More than anything, she wanted to be with Christian...to hear his soft voice and infectious laugh, to see his bright smile and sparkling blue eyes. Every time Murdock touched her, she couldn't help but yearn for Christian's own arms to be wrapped around her, his lips touching hers.

"Why does my heart cry?" Satine sang softly to herself, the bittersweet melody flowing through her mind and combining with the dismal words to make a spur-of-the-moment song. "Feelings I can't fight..."

"Darling?"

Satine blinked back tears and forced herself to return to her aloof facade before turning to Murdock.

"You're back," she said breathily, standing from the sofa and studying him for a moment. She couldn't bring herself to walk towards him...no, he'd have to come to her. 

He held a glass of champagne in each hand, and as Satine studied him she thought for a moment that she saw something silver glint from inside of his suit jacket. But she blinked, and as soon as she opened her eyes once more, it was gone.

Must have been a trick of the light.

"Here you are," Murdock handed her one of the glasses, and Satine sipped it gingerly. She'd always hated champagne. After taking a few tentative sips, she set it down on the recently-polished coffee table. Murdock copied her gesture and then sat down next to her, his eyes filled with desire. There was no doubt at what was coming next.

Sure enough, Murdock shoved his mouth intensely upon hers, purely raw lust and not the slightest bit of compassion. Satine forced herself to return his kisses with equal fervor, and pulled him slowly down on top of her on the sofa. His breathing was heavy as he tore at the buttons of her blouse mercilessly, tossing the silk garment onto the floor. She'd worn a tanktop underneath her shirt, knowing that something of the sort would happen and wanting to put it off as long as possible. A groan of frustration escaped Murdock's lips as he attempted to slide her top over her head, and Satine tried to distract him by planting tingling kisses on his neck. However, instead of giving up and allowing himself to enjoy her kisses, he set to work unzipping her long black skirt and pulling it from her hips. 

Satine felt tears well up in her eyes, and she determinedly pressed her lips to his, trying in vain to distract him. However, he had in no time torn the skirt off and thrown it beside the blouse.

_It's not as if you haven't done this before_, something in the back of her head reminded her. _He's just another customer...just another customer._

But that had been before Christian, and now Satine knew that she could never go through with it.

She belonged to Christian, body and soul.

"Stop," she murmured insistently. Murdock paid no mind as his lips made his way down her neck to her bare shoulder.

"STOP," she ordered, louder this time. "Stop it."

Instead of doing so, Murdock bit down menacingly on her shoulder, and Satine felt a bit of the skin tear. Immediately, tingling pain filled her.

"Stop it!" she pleaded, tears beginning to trickle down her cheeks. "Stop! Get off of me!"

She began to struggle, kicking and shoving with as much power as she could. Still, it didn't seem to make any affect on him. 

"Get off of me!" Satine shrieked. "Get off!"

A maniacal grin spread across Murdock's face as he pulled something from his suit jacket. Satine's lips uttered a strangled scream as soon as she saw what it was:

A knife, shining in the dim light of the fireplace.

Seconds before it could plunge into her flesh, Satine rolled out from under him and ran as quickly as she could out of the room and into the dark hall. Night had fallen long ago, and the room was pitch black. Whimpering softly, she tried in desperation to remember which way the front door was, but the mansion was huge and fear had caused her to lose all logic.

High, evil laughter filled her ears, and she could see the knife glinting in the dark. A scream escaped her lips, and she stumbled blindly through the hall as quickly as she could.

Outside, the storm raged on.

~*~

Christian stared blankly at the road, and rain splattered his windshield. He'd been given the address to Mark Murdock's mansion from Satine's mother, who had looked surprised to see him there. Now that his mind had become set on finding her, he could think of nothing else. But what would he say to her? He couldn't just take her back in his arms and proclaim his undying love.

Not after she'd broken his heart.

_'Roxanne...you don't have to put on that red light._

Walk the streets for money.

You don't care if it's wrong or it's right.'

The old Police song on the radio filled Christian's ears, combining with the sound of rain pelting to the ground violently. 

"Why does my heart cry?" he sang, taking a right turn and studying the houses, which grew fancier with each one he passed. "Feelings I can't fight..."

The words had popped into his mind at once, almost as though implanted there by someone else.

"You're free to leave me, but just don't deceive me," he continued. "And please...believe me when I say I love you."

~*~

"My diamond."

The insane whisper filled her ears as Satine sped into one of the rooms and collapsed in a dark corner, exhaustion overcoming her. She tried as hard as she could not to breathe...perhaps he'd just walk by without noticing her.

"My Satine...my diamond...blood...your blood..."

A shudder ran down her spine, and she shook with silent sobs. 

_Please don't let him find me_, she prayed in desperation. _Please, God, don't let him find me._

She let her head fall to her knees, trying to make herself as small as possible. He wouldn't notice her...he couldn't...he was maddened with rage, without any logic! 

However, the crazy, chiding whisper that filled her ears in the next second proved her wrong.

"Don't try to escape me."

He was so close his breath tickled her neck, and Satine sat up slowly, fear pulsating through her. She could vaguely make out an outline in front of her, and the knife seemed to glow. 

"Don't!" she pleaded, her voice breaking. "Please, please don't! Please!"

A single word, merciless and evil, responded.

"Blood."

The knife grew closer and closer to her skin, and Satine let out a gasp of horror and pain as his arm surged forward and plunged it deep into her chest.

~*~

"Why does my heart cry!?" Christian was practically screaming the words as he pulled into the huge driveway of Murdock's mansion. "Feelings I can't fight! You're-"

At once, Christian felt as though a knife had been plunged into his heart. A shiver immediately shook his whole body, and one word popped into his mind.

_Satine._

Something had just happened to her.

All anger forgotten in an instant, Christian flew from the car and into the mansion. Strangely, not a single bodyguard was waiting at the unlocked door, and he stepped in. It was pitch black, and silent. 

Was anyone here at all?

Perhaps they'd gone out for dinner...

"Christian."

The tiny, weak whisper immediately filled his ears, even though he could have very well been imagining it.

Somehow, he knew that it wasn't just a work of his own mind.

"Satine!" he shouted, immediately quickening his slow walk to a run. He stumbled up the gallant marble staircase and didn't pause on the second floor to wonder which of the many doors to enter. Something in his pained heart seemed to be leading him to Satine...she was hurt, he knew it.

"Satine!" he yelled again, desperation and worry filling him as he pushed open the door to the last room in the dark hall. The hinges screeched as he did so, reminding him of the suspenseful sound of a choppily played violin at the climax of a horror movie. 

Terrified of what he somehow knew he would see when the door opened fully, Christian took a deep breath and stepped into the room. Immediately, he felt as though his heart had stopped beating. His mind seemed to spin in circles, faster and faster, as his eyes fell on the scene before him. 

Satine was lying in a whimpering heap on the floor, Murdock hunched above her, holding a knife in his hand. Blood had covered the knife, and it was dripping slowly to the ground.

A roar of fury immediately escaped Christian's lips, and his whole vision seemed to be clouded with red. At once, he threw himself on Murdock and wrestled the knife from his hands. It flew to the opposite side of the room, landing with a clatter on the hardwood floor. 

"Get off!" Murdock screamed madly. "She's mine...my diamond...she came to me! Mine!"

With all the strength he possessed, Christian slammed his fist into Murdock's face, and his nose broke with a sickening crack. At once, Murdock grew limp, and his eyes closed. Christian immediately rose and rushed over to Satine, tears filling his eyes.

No...that couldn't be her, lying there, delicate porcelain skin soaked in crimson. She was fighting to keep her blue eyes open, and they were glassy and lifeless.

"Satine," he murmured, immediately taking his body in her arms and staring down at her. 

"Christian."

Her voice was the tiniest of whispers, barely audible.

She was so weak...

"I love you," Christian said, tears falling from his cheeks. "I love you so much. You're going to be all right...it's going to be all right."

"Christian, I'm going to die."

Her tone was so final, as though there was no questioning it at all.

"No, don't say that!" Christian exclaimed desperately.

"You've got to go on," Satine said weakly, as though every word was causing her physical pain. 

"I can't go on without you, though," Christian protested, a sob escaping his throat. He held her closer and planted a tender kiss on her forehead.

"Yes, you can," Satine said with a tired smile. "You've got so much to give."

"No," sobbed Christian, shaking his head in protest. "No."

"Tell our story," Satine pleaded. "The courtesan and her penniless poet..."

"Satine," Christian cried softly.

"That way," she stopped, taking a few jagged breaths. "That way...I'll always be with you."

She gave an exhausted sigh before slowly closing her eyes.

"No, Satine! Don't leave me!" he begged. "Don't..."

_911,_ a dull voice in the back of his mind ordered him, _Call 911._

"I'll be right back," he promised her, slowly lowering Satine back down to the floor. He studied Murdock for a moment before kicking him firmly, so as to make sure he wouldn't regain consciousness and hurt Satine any more.

He ran downstairs and into the kitchen, then grabbed the phone and quickly dialed 911.

"911," a calm female voice said, "What's your emergency?"

"Satine," he choked out. "Satine, she's been stabbed by Murdock...stabbed, she's dying, you have to help her."

"Calm down," the voice ordered him soothingly. "Where are you?"

Christian quickly repeated the address Marie had given him.

"All right," the voice said. "We'll have someone there as soon as possible."

"Please....please hurry," Christian begged, his voice shaky with sobs. "I'll die without her."

And with that, he slammed the phone back down into the receiver and rushed to Satine's side once more.


	15. I'll Always Be With You

A Story About Love

by She's a Star

A/N: Ahh...the last chapter. *sniffles* Not the most cheerful...*winces* Sorry guys. I'll have an epilogue up soon.

Chapter 15: I'll Always Be With You

Christian had always hated hospitals. The only things they'd ever symbolized to him were agony and pain, and now...

Now everything was being torn away from him.

He'd been forced by the doctor out of the intensive care unit and into the waiting room, and he'd sat there for what felt like forever, shaking with desolate sobs. A little girl eyed him, looking frightened, and whispered timidly to her mother, "Mommy, why is that man so sad?"

"I don't know, darling," the mother responded, lifting her daughter onto her lap. "But don't stare, it's not polite."

Satine...she couldn't be taken away from him. He wouldn't let her. They were meant to have eternity together, not a few fleeting months that had passed in the blink of an eye. 

A love like theirs was supposed to be forever.

The television hanging from the ceiling in the corner proclaimed the story that Christian had already witnessed. A solemn looking reporter stood in front of Murdock's mansion.

"Tonight a few hours before, popular Hollywood director Mark Murdock went insane, brutally stabbing twenty-two year old Satine Zidler. Miss Zidler was an aspiring actress set to star in Murdock's upcoming romantic comedy. Paramedics predict that Zidler wouldn't have survived if her boyfriend, twenty-three year old Christian Matthews, hadn't shown up and knocked Murdock unconscious before calling 911. Zidler is currently in intensive care, and Murdock has been arrested for attempt at murder."

A photo of Satine filled the screen, blue eyes sparkling, red lips curled up into a sweet smile before it switched back to the news anchor. 

Christian felt his blood boil in fury as he stared up at the television with shining eyes. They'd described it as though it was an everyday occurrence, nothing more important than a comment on the weather.

They didn't care that the woman he loved could die.

A low, hoarse sob escaped the back of his throat, and he held his head in his hands.

"Please, God," he begged aloud. "Please, please don't take her away from me! I-"

"Mr. Matthews?"

Christian looked up, not bothering to wipe the tears from his cheeks. The doctor stared at her with sympathetic eyes.

"Yes?"

"Satine is very weak, and there's a probability that she won't make it through the night."

"Don't tell me this," Christian pleaded desperately. "Don't tell me that she's going to die."

"However," the doctor continued, "If she does make it through the night, she will most likely survive."

Christian felt his deadened heart leap a bit in his chest. "Can I see her?"

The doctor nodded grimly. "She's been moved out of intensive care. She's in room 415."

Christian leapt from his seat, hurrying through the dismal white halls until he pushed open the door. Immediately, the tears still in his eyes begged to fall again, but he didn't. The low, steady 'beep' of a heart monitor filled his ears, mingling with Satine's soft, raspy breathing.

She didn't look like Satine...not the full of life, vivacious woman that had belted out Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend with reckless abandon and always seemed to be smiling. Her already ivory skin seemed completely colorless, and her blue eyes seemed to have lost their sparkle.

"Christian," she murmured weakly, her voice small.

"Satine," he whispered back, blinking back tears as he rushed to her side. "Satine."

She was silent for a moment, watching him so fondly that he could practically see the fond memories dancing before her eyes. 

"I'm dying, Christian."

The three words cut him deeper, sharper than any knife could. No. No. She couldn't be saying this, she couldn't be giving up.

"No, no you're not," he muttered desperately, taking her hand in his own.

It was so cold.

"You're going to be all right, darling," he continued madly. "You're going to be all right. You're so strong. You're-"

"Christian."

At the sound of her voice, he immediately fell silent.

A bittersweet smile danced across her lips, and she lifted her hand slowly to caress his cheek. Christian placed his hand over her own, tears begging to spill from his eyes.

"Please, Christian, listen to me...you've got to go on," Satine pleaded. "You've got to tell our story; you've got to promise me."

The sound of her voice, so final and hopeless, caused tears to stream down his cheeks. He shuddered with silent sobs as he responded with a weak smile.

"I can't go on without you...you know I can't, you're everything."

"Yes, yes, you can," Satine urged, voice a barely audible whisper. Speaking was paining her, he could tell...he was losing her. "Tell our story, Christian. You've got a gift, so much to give; you have to share it. Tell our story about a penniless poet and his courtesan...about dancing on the sky and promising eternal love, come what may."

"No," Christian shook his head, squeezing the word out through his sobs. "No."

"Tell our story," Satine repeated, determined. "Christian, I'll always be..."

She paused and took a steadying breath, the sound drowned out by Christian's sobs.

"I'll always...be with you," she whispered. "But you have to help me live on."

"Satine, no," he pleaded. "No. If you make it through the night, you'll survive, Satine! Please don't close your eyes..."

A single tear trickled down her porcelain cheek as her lids slowly lowered.

"Satine," he murmured, savoring the sound of her name on his lips and feeling a terrifying sorrow at the realization that she may never hear him speak it again.

"I love you."

Her words were barely a whisper, dancing around his ears and echoing throughout his mind. Then slowly, slowly, Satine's eyes closed fully, dark lashes brushing across pale skin.

And with the simple action, all of Christian's happiness was lost eternally to pain.


	16. A Story About Love

HTML1DocumentEncodingwindows-1252GeneratorMicrosoft Works 4.0A Story About Love

by She's a Star

A/N: Ahhh, it's all over now. *sniffles* Parting is such sweet sorrow.

Epilogue: A Story About Love

The church was beautiful, Christian couldn't deny that.

White roses seemed to be everywhere, symbolizing the innocence that Satine had always radiated despite her less-than-glowing life. Audible sniffles filled his ears as he slowly made his way up the aisle, a bittersweet sense filling him as he approached the head of the church. All the memories flooded through his mind, and he was immediately lost in a reverie starring his beloved.

Though she'd never been on film, he still would always see her name in lights.

She was truly a star.

A sparkling diamond.

"Christian."

The soft sensation of someone's hand on his arm brought Christian out of his swirl of beautiful memories, and he looked down at the grim face of Harry Zidler.

"Thank you," Satine's stepfather whispered. "We can never thank you enough...you've saved her, Christian. She's finally...flown away."

At that proclamation, the emotion seemed to take over him, and he lowered his face into a handkerchief and wrapped his arm around Marie, who was dabbing at her eyes.

With a weak smile, Christian continued up the aisle. He was near the front of the church, and the sensation of everyone's eyes on him sent a shiver up and down his spine. He tried to ignore them, and instead composed a bit more of Their Story in his head, a habit which he had grown used to since that fateful day that had changed everything.

__

Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, and then one not so very special day, I sat down at my typewriter, and I wrote our story..

The priest gave him an encouraging smile as Christian stepped up, the thought that he would be seeing Satine in mere moments enveloping his mind. 

He was doing it; he was writing their story. 

And really, she would always be with him.

__

A story about a time...

Though he was only newly twenty-four, he knew that he would never be able to love someone else. Satine was his soulmate, the only one he could ever love.

The only one he had ever loved.

The one who would have his heart until his dying day.

Beyond his dying day...beyond the end of time.

__

A story about a place...

A love like theirs couldn't be stopped by anything; not by pain, by jealousy, by death, by the end of time. 

Love conquered all.

The bittersweet sound of the organ interrupted his thoughts, and almost in unison every head turned to glance at the back of the church.

__

A story about the people...

Christian felt his heart soar, filled with as much love as the first time he'd seen her, as Satine stepped slowly into the church. She was clad in a satin white dress, and tiny pink roses had been woven into fiery curls. The slightest trace of nervousness was devoid in her expression; instead, she looked confident, anticipating....

His heart skipped as her eyes met hers and her ruby lips blossomed into a sweet smile. The sight of her filled him with a happiness that paled any other emotion in comparrison, and he thanked God that she'd made it through that night.

__

But above all things....

He returned the smile, wishing that he could have his arms around her right now. She seemed so tantalizingly out of his reach, but he knew that in a few short moments, they would be joined forever. Two souls, one so naive and the other once jaded but starting anew, would become one. 

Forever.

__

A story about love.

Still beaming, Satine mouthed three words at him, her blue eyes sparkling in sheer ecstasy.

"Come what may."

Happiness overtook him, and as Satine reached him and took his hands in her own, true completeness filled his body. 

Leaning foward, he whispered tenderly into her ear, her soft skin brushing against his.

"Come what may."

__

A love that will live forever.


End file.
